bin2 dau2扁豆
Jyutpingbin2 dau2
Yalebín dáu
Definition
Hyacinth bean or lentil; an edible legume often used in curries or desserts.
neutralfood
How it's used
Lentils are not a staple in traditional Cantonese home cooking, so they are often associated with Indian or Southeast Asian cuisines. When buying them, you will mostly find them in dried form at supermarkets or specialty stores. Remember that they require thorough boiling to remove natural toxins, so they are rarely eaten raw or undercooked.
Measure word
nap1粒nāpExamples
These lentils need to be cooked for a long time to get soft.
Are you going to make curry with lentils tonight?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 扁豆 with 荷蘭豆, which is the common snow pea used in stir-fries. While both are legumes, 扁豆 refers specifically to the small, lens-shaped pulse that needs long cooking, whereas 荷蘭豆 is a vegetable eaten for its crisp pod.
Grammar color guide
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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.
