Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dim sum

/ˈdɪmˈsʌm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.54 in modern English

Syllables: dim -sum
IPA: /ˈdɪmˈsʌm/

11

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A Cantonese-style meal traditionally eaten in the morning or early afternoon, comprising tea and food typically placed in small steamer baskets or on small plates, and often served from carts that move around from table to table in a restaurant.

Uncountable

noun

The food served at a dim sum meal, typically including dumplings, seafood, and desserts.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"King Chef (2F Main Mall, 0932 323 1871) serves healthy food and authentic Cantonese cuisine in a fine dining setup. For Father's Day, treat the whole family to its dim sum platters! It has a roasted platter which includes soyed chicken, roast duck, barbecued pork asado, fried five-spice roll, and soyed cucumber with century egg. Another option is the steamed dim sum platter, where you can devour a spread of hakaw, pork & shrimp siomai, Japanese siomai, beancurd roll, and Taosi spareribs."

Etymology

Borrowed from Cantonese 點心／点心 (dim² sam¹), literally “to touch the heart gently; to skim the heart; to refresh the heart; to quicken the heart; heart-warming; to kindle the fire of the heart”.

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈdɪmˈsʌm/
British English: /ˈdɪm.sʌm/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

dimsum (alternative)

Phrases

dim sum bond dim sim yum cha

Frequently Paired Words

dim sim yum cha

Synonyms

dim sum yum cha

Questions

How do you pronounce dim sum?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɪmˈsʌm/.
What does dim sum mean?: A Cantonese-style meal traditionally eaten in the morning or early afternoon, comprising tea and food typically placed in small steamer baskets or on small plates, and often served from carts that move around from table to table in a restaurant.
Where does dim sum come from?: Borrowed from Cantonese 點心／点心 (dim² sam¹), literally “to touch the heart gently; to skim the heart; to refresh the heart; to quicken the heart; heart-warming; to kindle the fire of the heart”.

How to pronounce dim sum

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dim sum”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdɪmˈsʌm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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