baak6 laan4白蘭白兰
Jyutpingbaak6 laan4
Yalebaahk làahn
Definition
White champaca; a species of Michelia with fragrant white flowers.
colloquialnature
How it's used
People in Hong Kong often refer to the flower itself as 白蘭花 instead of just 白蘭, especially when talking about the small, fragrant strings sold by street vendors. These flowers are traditionally associated with nostalgia and are frequently worn or placed in cars for their natural, calming scent. Using the full term 白蘭花 makes the speech sound more natural in everyday contexts.
Measure word
cyun3串chyunExamples
The scent of michelia flowers here is very fragrant.
How many strings of michelia flowers did you buy to take home?
Related words
Common phrases
scent of michelia
a string of michelia flowers
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the flower name with the brand name of certain household products or alcoholic drinks that share the same characters, so context is key to avoiding confusion.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
