fan1葷荤
Jyutpingfan1
Yalefān
Definition
Meat dishes, as opposed to vegetarian food.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Distinguishing between meat and vegetarian food is culturally significant due to the prevalence of Buddhist dietary practices in the region. While 葷 technically refers to meat, it is almost exclusively used in the context of contrasting with 齋, which refers to vegetarian food. You will rarely hear it used in a casual context to simply mean meat, as 肉 is the standard term for that.
Examples
He has been eating vegetarian lately and does not eat meat.
Does this restaurant provide any meat dishes?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 葷 as a general term for meat in everyday shopping or cooking instructions. It sounds formal or religious, so stick to 肉 when talking about buying pork, beef, or chicken at the market.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
