bo1 coi3菠菜
Jyutpingbo1 coi3
Yalebō choi
Definition
Spinach; a leafy green vegetable with a sweet taste and red roots.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Spinach is a staple vegetable in Hong Kong home cooking, often prepared by blanching or stir-frying with garlic. It is frequently associated with the cartoon character Popeye, whose popularity in the region cemented the idea that eating it makes you strong. When buying it at a wet market, you will often see it sold in bundles rather than by weight.
Measure word
zaat3紮jatExamples
The spinach here is very fresh.
Do you want to eat stir-fried spinach with garlic or spinach in superior soup tonight?
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
