cou3 haa1灶蝦灶虾
Jyutpingcou3 haa1
Yalechou hā
Definition
Camel cricket or cave cricket; a small, wingless insect that lives in dark places.
colloquialanimalshome
How it's used
This term is specifically used for the long-legged, wingless insects often found in damp, dark areas of older homes or kitchens. While technically referred to as 灶馬 in some contexts, 灶蝦 is the common colloquial name used by many locals due to its shrimp-like appearance and movement. It carries a slightly negative connotation as they are considered household pests that thrive in unhygienic conditions.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
There is a cave cricket in the kitchen corner, it scared me to death!
Have you ever seen a cave cricket? They really like to appear in dark places.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with actual shrimp, which are 海蝦 or 河蝦. Using 灶蝦 to refer to food will cause significant confusion and disgust.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
