daai6 jyu4大魚大鱼
Jyutpingdaai6 jyu4
Yaledaaih yùh
Definition
Bighead carp; an edible freshwater fish characterized by its low-set eyes.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Commonly referred to as 大頭魚 in local wet markets due to its distinctively large head. It is a staple in Cantonese home cooking, frequently steamed with ginger and scallions to highlight its tender texture. The term 大魚 is standard, but shoppers often use the more descriptive name to avoid confusion with other large freshwater fish.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
I bought a bighead carp to steam tonight.
Do you know where they sell fresh bighead carp?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with generic large fish, as the term specifically refers to the bighead carp species. Using it to describe any large fish caught in the ocean would be incorrect.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).



