fong1 nin4荒年

Jyutpingfong1 nin4
Yalefōng nìhn

Definition

A year of famine or crop failure, resulting in a severe shortage of food.

neutralfoodtime

How it's used

Refers specifically to a period of agricultural failure leading to severe food shortages. It carries a heavy, somber tone often associated with historical accounts or tales told by the elderly. While it can be used metaphorically to describe a period of extreme scarcity or lack of resources in a business or personal context, it remains a formal term that is rarely used in casual, everyday small talk.

Measure word

go3go

Examples

People in the past really suffered during famine years.

Common phrases

encounter a famine year
famine and starvation

Grammar color guide

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