faan2 co1反芻反刍

Jyutpingfaan2 co1

Yalefáan chō

名詞

Definition

Rumination; the act of a ruminant animal bringing swallowed food back up to chew again.

neutralanimals

How it's used

Primarily used in scientific or biological contexts to describe the specific digestive process of animals like cows. While it is a formal term, it is the standard way to refer to this behavior in both academic and casual discussions about animal biology. It is rarely used metaphorically in Cantonese to describe thinking over ideas, unlike the English word ruminate.

Examples

ngau4牛sik6食jyun4完cou2草wui2會faan2反co1芻，nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知aa1呀？

Cows ruminate after eating grass, did you know that?

faan2反co1芻hai6係ngau2牛tung4同joeng4羊le1呢leoi6類dung6動mat6物ge3嘅sang1生lei5理dak6特zing1徵。

Ruminating is a physiological characteristic of animals like cows and sheep.

Common phrases

faan2反co1芻dung6動mat6物

ruminant

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a general term for vomiting or spitting out food. It specifically refers to the biological process of bringing food back from the stomach to chew again, not the act of throwing up due to illness.