fau4 jau4 sang1 mat6浮游生物
Jyutpingfau4 jau4 sang1 mat6
Yalefàuh yàuh sāng maht
Definition
Plankton; tiny organisms living near the surface of seas or lakes that cannot travel far on their own.
neutralnatureanimals
How it's used
This term is a scientific loan translation from Japanese that has become the standard way to refer to plankton in Cantonese. It is primarily used in educational or biological contexts rather than in casual daily conversation. When speaking informally, people might simply refer to them as 海入面啲細生物.
Measure word
zung3種jungExamples
There are many plankton in the sea.
Common phrases
plankton community
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- 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.
