ban1檳槟
Jyutpingban1
Yalebān
Definition
A type of nut, especially referring to the betel nut or areca nut.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Rarely used as a standalone noun in modern speech, this character almost exclusively appears as part of the compound 檳榔. It refers to the seed of the areca palm, which is chewed as a stimulant in various Asian cultures. In Hong Kong, it is most commonly encountered in the context of traditional snacks or specific cultural practices.
Examples
He really likes eating betel nut.
Related words
Common phrases
to chew betel nut
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.
