faa1 niu5 cung4 jyu4花鳥蟲魚花鸟虫鱼
Jyutpingfaa1 niu5 cung4 jyu4
Yalefā níuh chùhng yùh
Definition
Flowers, birds, insects, and fish; a traditional subject of Chinese art and hobbies representing nature.
colloquialnaturedaily actions
How it's used
This idiom functions as a collective noun for traditional hobbies involving nature. It specifically refers to the practice of keeping or cultivating these living things rather than just observing them in the wild. It carries a slightly nostalgic or traditional tone, often associated with older generations or specific markets like the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden.
Examples
After retiring, he loves keeping flowers, birds, insects, and fish as a hobby.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
Particle
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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.
