樽

Classifier for Bottles

Level 2Sounds Like zeon1

In Cantonese, 樽 (zeon1) is the universal measure word (classifier) for all bottles and jars, regardless of their shape (like water, beer, soy sauce, or jam). It replaces Mandarin 瓶 (píng).

How It Works

1. Meaning and Function
In Cantonese, 樽 (zeon1) serves as the primary classifier (measure word) for items stored inside bottles or jars. Crucially, it translates to both 'bottle' and 'jar' in English, covering items like water, beer, jam, honey, sauces, and medicine pills. It is also used for gas cylinders (石油氣樽).

2. Sentence Structure
Follow the standard Cantonese counting frame:

  • [Number / Quantifier / Demonstrative] + 樽 + [Noun]

It commonly follows demonstratives like 呢 (ni1, 'this') or 嗰 (go2, 'that').

Examples:

  • 一樽水 (jat1 zeon1 seoi2) - A bottle of water
  • 呢樽豉油 (ni1 zeon1 si6 jau4) - This bottle of soy sauce
  • 幾樽果醬 (gei2 zeon1 gwo2 zoeng3) - A few jars of jam

Bare Classifier (Definite Article):
In Cantonese, using a bare classifier before a noun (CL + Noun) marks it as definite, functioning like 'the':

  • 樽蜜糖 (zeon1 mat6 tong4) - The jar of honey

3. Important Distinctions

  • 樽 vs. 支 (zi1): 樽 is the universal classifier for any bottle or jar. However, for standard beverage bottles (like water or beer), you can also use the shape-based classifier 支 (zi1), which is for long, cylindrical objects. They are often interchangeable (一樽水 vs. 一支水), but 樽 emphasizes the physical container type (bottle or jar), while 支 focuses strictly on the long, cylindrical shape of the vessel.
  • 樽 vs. Mandarin 瓶 (ping4): Mandarin speakers frequently default to 瓶 as a classifier. In spoken Cantonese, 瓶 sounds overly literal and unnatural as a classifier or basic noun. Always use 樽 (or 支) in daily speech for these cases. Even in established compound words where Mandarin uses 瓶, Cantonese replaces it with 樽, resulting in native terms like 花樽 (faa1 zeon1, 'vase') and 樽頸 (zeon1 geng2, 'bottleneck').
  • 樽 vs. 盒 (hap6): 樽 is primarily for bottles, jars, and cylinders. Drinks in paper cartons use 盒 (hap6), and drinks in aluminum cans use 罐 (gun3).

4. Noun Usage
Beyond being a classifier, 樽 (zeon1) is also a standalone noun meaning 'bottle' or 'jar', covering a wide breadth of vessel shapes. For example, 玻璃樽 (bo1 lei1 zeon1) means 'glass bottle/jar', 水樽 (seoi2 zeon1) means 'water bottle', 花樽 (faa1 zeon1) means 'flower vase', and 保溫樽 (bou2 wan1 zeon1) means 'thermos'.

When 樽 is used as a noun, its classifier is 個 (go3), 隻 (zek3), or 支 (zi1) (e.g., 一個水樽 jat1 go3 seoi2 zeon1, 一隻水樽 jat1 zek3 seoi2 zeon1, or 一支水樽 jat1 zi1 seoi2 zeon1 'a water bottle'). Using 樽 as its own classifier (*一樽水樽) is ungrammatical.

5. Verb Usage (Bonus)
樽 is also used in the highly common verb phrase 入樽 (jap6 zeon1), which literally means 'to put into a bottle' (to bottle). Culturally, it is the standard Cantonese term for a 'slam dunk' in basketball (for example, the famous anime Slam Dunk is translated as 男兒當入樽 naam4 ji4 dong1 jap6 zeon1).

Examples (4)

  1. 唔該畀一樽果醬我。

    Please give me a jar of jam.

    Word by Word: Please give one jar jam me.

    Uses 樽 (zeon1) after the number 一 (jat1) to count a jar of jam.

  2. 琴日買嗰樽豉油，今日就用晒喇？

    The bottle of soy sauce bought yesterday is already all used up today?

    Word by Word: Yesterday buy that bottle soy sauce, today then use all [particle]?

    Combines 嗰 (go2) with 樽 (zeon1) to specify 'that bottle'.

  3. 呢樽藥要一日食三次。

    This bottle of medicine needs to be taken three times a day.

    Word by Word: This bottle medicine need one day eat three times.

    Uses 呢 (ni1) + 樽 (zeon1) to specify 'this bottle' of medicine.

  4. 我想買兩樽蜜糖。

    I want to buy two jars of honey.

    Word by Word: I want buy two jar honey.

    Shows how to count jars using 兩 (loeng5) + 樽.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 瓶 (ping4) where 樽 (zeon1) is the usual spoken classifier.

    Different Meaning唔該畀一瓶豉油我。
    唔該畀一樽豉油我。

    In spoken Cantonese, 樽 (zeon1) is the usual classifier for bottles and jars, as in 花樽 (faa1 zeon1, 'vase'). 瓶 (ping4) is also understood, and it is common in writing and in words like 花瓶.

  • Using 樽 (zeon1) when the milk comes in a carton.

    Different Meaning我買咗一樽牛奶。
    我買咗一盒牛奶。

    我買咗一樽牛奶 is a good sentence: it says a bottle of milk. 樽 (zeon1) is for bottles, jars and cylinders, so for a cardboard carton use 盒 (hap6).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

樽Level 2Classifier for Bottles

Learn This First

To use '樽' (bottle) correctly, you need to understand the basic Cantonese noun phrase structure (Number + Classifier + Noun) and the general concept of how classifiers function as measure words for containers.

Words in This Pattern

樽