cau1 gan1 coi3抽筋菜
Jyutpingcau1 gan1 coi3
Yalechāu gān choi
Definition
Water spinach; a colloquial term for Ipomoea aquatica.
colloquialfood
How it's used
This term is a playful, colloquial nickname for water spinach, derived from the belief that eating it causes muscle cramps. While most people in Hong Kong simply use 通菜, using this term adds a humorous or superstitious touch to the conversation. It is mostly used in casual settings among friends or family rather than in formal restaurant menus.
Measure word
dip2碟dípExamples
Are we having water spinach for dinner tonight?
This plate of water spinach is stir-fried to be very crunchy.
Related words
Common phrases
stir-fried water spinach
water spinach with fermented bean curd
Common mistake
Do not use this term in a formal setting, such as ordering at a high-end restaurant, as it may sound overly informal or confusing to staff who expect the standard name.
Grammar color guide
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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.
