Yàhn

Yàhn is the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese character 人, meaning “person” or “human being.” In Mandarin the same character is pronounced ren. The character is one of the most fundamental in Chinese writing, originally depicting a standing figure, and it retains the core sense of personhood across varieties of Chinese, including Cantonese.

Pronunciation and romanization: In Cantonese, yàhn is written in Yale romanization with a rising-falling tone mark indicating tone 4, commonly described as a low falling tone. In Jyutping, the pronunciation is jan4. The standard written form is the single character 人, used in Cantonese text just as it is in other Chinese varieties.

Usage: The word yàhn functions as a common noun meaning a person or human being and is frequently used in both everyday speech and formal writing. It also serves as a building block in countless compound terms and phrases related to people, humanity, or population. As a basic semantic unit, it appears across a wide range of contexts, from personal references to discussions of society and culture.

Relationship to other terms: The Cantonese pronunciation yàhn corresponds to the Mandarin pronunciation ren. The character itself is ubiquitous in Chinese writing and appears in many compounds, expressions, and names in Cantonese as it does in other dialects.

See also: Chinese character 人; Cantonese language; Jyutping; Yale romanization; Mandarin Chinese (ren).