The
Natural World
1.
Nature and the World = 100 Words for Fauna
and Flora
|
|
English |
Cantonese |
Comments |
Char
(Simp) |
|
601 |
Alligator
(Crocodile) |
gnok |
|
鱷 |
|
602 |
Bat |
bin bien
pin |
Mandarin: ‘bian’. Hakka: ‘us’ |
蝙 |
|
603 |
Bear |
ho-ung
yun |
|
熊人 |
|
604 |
Camel |
tO |
|
駝 |
|
605 |
Carp |
lAi ye-ue |
|
鯉魚 |
|
606 |
Cat |
mo |
Usually
‘mo-mo’. Mandarin:’mao’ |
猫 |
|
607 |
Chicken |
gIe |
Chicken, hen,
cock, domestic fowl |
鷄 |
|
608 |
Cow |
gnau |
Cattle,
oxen, general word |
牛 |
|
609 |
Dog |
gao |
Usually:
‘gao-gao’. Means any canine |
狗 |
|
|
Guide Dog |
dO maan
hyUn |
‘hyUn’ =
dog specifically addressed 犬 |
導盲犬 |
|
610 |
Dolphin |
hoi tyUn |
|
海豚 |
|
611 |
Donkey |
lOu leoi |
|
驢 |
|
612 |
Dragon |
lo-ung |
Sounds
almost like ‘long’ |
龍 (龙) |
|
613 |
Duck |
aap |
|
鴨 |
|
614 |
Elephant |
dIe ban
zhong |
|
大笨象 |
|
616 |
Fish |
ye-ue |
|
魚 |
|
617 |
Frog |
waa |
|
蛙 |
|
619 |
Giraffe |
c’urng
geng luk |
|
長頸鹿 |
|
620 |
Goat |
jo-eng
c’urng |
Means
both Sheep and Goat! Cantonese consider them to be the same animal |
羊 |
|
621 |
Goose |
ngor |
As in Knorr
brand soups |
鵝 |
|
622 |
Hawk |
yut yut |
General
word for a Hawk or Kite |
鳶 |
|
623 |
Horse |
maa |
|
馬 |
|
624 |
Lion |
CEi |
‘mo Cei’
means Lion Dance 舞獅 |
獅 |
|
625 |
Lizard |
sic jik |
Specific
versions closely relate to snakes |
蜥蜴 |
|
626 |
Monkey |
hau |
|
猴 |
|
|
|
maa lau |
Common
Usage: Naughty child or person |
馬騮 |
|
627 |
Mouse |
lO shiU |
Mouse
(And rat). Means: Mr Nobody |
老鼠 |
|
|
Micky
Mouse |
|
Lit:
Micky Mouse Mr Nobody |
米奇老鼠 |
|
628 |
Ox |
gnau maa |
Lit:
Beast of Burden (Ox, Horse) |
牛馬 |
|
629 |
Panda |
hO mao |
Cubs =
‘siU hO mao’ |
熊貓 |
|
630 |
Pig |
GEE |
Pig, hog,
wild boar = general word |
猪 |
|
631 |
Rabbit |
tO |
|
兔 |
|
632 |
Rat |
shiU |
‘lO
shiU’. Same word for rat and mouse |
鼠 |
|
633 |
Shark |
saa ye-ue |
Shark fin
soup: 雞魚翅 |
鯊魚 |
|
634 |
Sheep |
min
jo-eng |
Same word
used for sheep and goat. This means Ewe. Ram = ‘gung jo-eng 公羊 |
綿羊 |
|
635 |
Shellfish
|
hoi sin |
|
海 |
|
636 |
Snake |
se-ur |
|
蛇 |
|
637 |
Squid |
yaow ye-ue/sO
dong |
|
魷魚/蘇冬 |
|
638 |
Tiger |
lO fu |
‘lO fu
la!’ means ‘Tiger (Fierce) woman!’ – often used in loving sexual play |
老虎 |
|
639 |
Turtle |
gwaI |
Meanings:
Turtle, tortoise, terrapin, etc |
龜 |
|
640 |
Whale |
king |
|
鯨 |
|
641 |
Ant |
maa gnAi |
|
螞蟻 |
|
642 |
Bee |
mat fung |
Honey Bee |
蜜蜂 |
|
643 |
Beetle |
gaap cung
cung |
|
甲蟲 |
|
644 |
Butterfly |
wu dip |
|
蝴蝶 |
|
645 |
Cockroach |
siU ke-urng |
Evil
things = Splat! |
小強 |
|
646 |
Dragonfly |
sin ting |
|
蜻蜓 |
|
647 |
Fly |
wu
jing |
|
烏蠅 |
|
648 |
Larvae |
kit kyut |
Specifically
mosquito larvae |
孑孓 |
|
649 |
Mosquito |
mun |
|
蚊 |
|
650 |
Moth |
fAi gnO |
|
飛蛾 |
|
651 |
Scorpion |
hit kit |
|
蠍 |
|
652 |
Silkworm |
kaaum |
|
蠶 |
|
653 |
Spider |
zhI zhU |
|
蜘蛛 |
|
654 |
Wasp |
fung |
A Bee,
Wasp or Hornet |
蜂 |
|
655 |
Worm |
cung |
|
蟲 |
|
656 |
Algae |
zhO |
|
藻 |
|
657 |
Bamboo |
zhuk |
General
word. Specific words are different |
竹 |
|
658 |
Banyan
Tree |
jo-ung |
|
榕 |
|
659 |
Cactus |
cin yan
jo-eng |
|
仙人掌 |
|
660 |
Carnation |
dO duO |
|
朵 |
|
661 |
Chrysanthemum |
guk faa |
|
菊花 |
|
662 |
Flower |
faa |
|
花 |
|
663 |
Forest |
sam laam |
Generalisation |
森林 |
|
664 |
Ginger
Flower |
ge-urng
faa |
Smell a
lot like lilies. Boys: girls love these = the same as Red Roses in UK |
姜花 |
|
665 |
Grass |
cou |
|
草 |
|
666 |
Hardwood |
taan |
|
檀 |
|
667 |
Ivy |
sOeng
ceOn tan |
|
常春藤 |
|
668 |
Lily |
gaam
zhaam coi |
|
金針菜 |
|
|
Lotus |
soi lin |
Water
Lily – see below |
睡蓮 |
|
669 |
Palm |
zho-ung |
|
棕 |
|
670 |
Rose |
m-oyi gwAi faa |
Culture: l
1 red rose = ‘I like you girl’ l
11 red roses = ‘I want to take this
further’ l
999 red roses = marriage proposal (Flower shops do actually deliver 999 red roses
to girls! The boy keeps an extra 1) |
玫瑰 |
|
671 |
Shrub |
gun muk |
|
灌木 |
|
672 |
Fir /
Softwood |
saam caam |
|
杉 |
|
673 |
Tree |
syU |
|
樹 |
|
674 |
Tulip |
waat gam
heurng |
|
鬱金香 |
|
675 |
Water
Lily |
soi lin |
Lotus |
睡蓮 |
v
faa sa-um (Mandarin : Hau Xin):
‘Flower Heart’ is often used in Chinese literature. It means : ‘a player,
fickle’, ‘a woman with many lovers’. 花心 Therefore; it would be very
reasonable to call a woman of the night ‘a flower’, and a beautiful one ‘
a rose’ perhaps. Understand this, and you will begin to ‘get it’…?
|
676 |
Canal |
ke-oi |
|
渠 |
|
677 |
Cave |
saan
do-ung |
|
山洞 |
|
678 |
Delta |
sam gok
zhao |
|
三角洲 |
|
679 |
Desert |
baat mO
zhI dA |
|
不毛之地 |
|
680 |
Field |
tin |
Open
space put to use |
田 |
|
681 |
Fish Pond |
gAi wYEEi |
|
基圍 |
|
682 |
Garden |
faa yU-en |
|
花園 |
|
683 |
Hedge |
siU lAi |
|
樹籬 |
|
684 |
Hill |
yaow |
|
丘 |
|
685 |
Irrigation
Ditch |
yan hO |
|
引河 |
|
686 |
Lake |
wu |
|
湖 |
|
687 |
Lock |
zhaap
baan |
Sluice
gate |
閘板 |
|
688 |
Marsh |
wah dAi |
|
窪地 |
|
689 |
Mountain |
san |
|
山 |
|
690 |
Paddy
Field |
dOu |
|
稻 |
|
691 |
Park |
gung yun |
|
公園 |
|
692 |
Plantation |
|
|
植树造林 |
|
693 |
Plateau |
gOu yun |
|
高原 |
|
694 |
Pot Plant |
pun zoi |
|
盆栽 |
|
695 |
River |
hO, gong |
‘gong’
usually refers to a large river |
河/江 |
|
696 |
Rock |
sek |
|
石 |
|
697 |
Sand |
saa zhI |
|
沙 |
|
698 |
Spring |
yu-an |
|
源 |
|
699 |
Valley |
guk yuk |
|
谷 |
|
700 |
Well |
zheng soi |
Also used
for bottled mineral water |
井水 |
We will continue with words for daily living