dau6 fu6 jeon2豆腐膶
Jyutpingdau6 fu6 jeon2
Yaledauh fuh yéun
Definition
Dried bean curd; firm tofu.
colloquialfooddescriptions
How it's used
Taboos regarding unlucky homophones drive this linguistic shift, as the word for dry, 乾, sounds identical to the word for dead or finished, 乾. Replacing it with 膶, which refers to the liver, creates a more auspicious connotation. This term is almost exclusively used in the idiom 豆腐膶咁細 to describe something extremely small or cramped.
Measure word
faai3塊faiExamples
His room is as tiny as a sliver of dried bean curd.
Your spot is so small, it really is just the size of a dried bean curd.
Related words
Common phrases
as small as a sliver of dried bean curd
Common mistake
Do not use this term to refer to actual food products in a culinary context, as it is strictly used as a metaphorical measure of size. Using it to describe a block of bean curd at a market will cause confusion.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
