gaap3鴿鸽

Jyutpinggaap3

Yalegaap

名詞

Definition

Pigeon or dove; a gentle bird known for its fast flight, strong memory, and as a symbol of peace.

neutralanimals

How it's used

While the character 鴿 is used for pigeons and doves, it is rarely used in everyday speech to refer to the bird itself. Most Hong Kongers will use the term 白鴿 to refer to the common city pigeon, even if the bird is grey or brown. The term is also frequently used as a verb in slang to mean to stand someone up or break a promise, derived from the idea of a pigeon flying away unexpectedly.

Measure word

zek3隻jek

Examples

gung1公jyun2園go2嗰bin1邊jau5有hou2好do1多gaap2鴿hai2喺dou6度wan2搵sik6食。

There are many pigeons over there in the park looking for food.

nei5你gin3見m4唔gin3見dou3到go2嗰zek3隻gaap2鴿fei1飛zo2咗heoi3去bin1邊aa4呀？

Did you see where that pigeon flew off to?

Common phrases

baak6白gaap3鴿

pigeon

fong3放gaap3鴿zi2子

to stand someone up

Common mistake

Do not confuse 鴿 with 鳩. While both refer to birds in the same family, 鳩 is often used in slang as a vulgar expletive or to refer to male genitalia, so using it to describe a bird in a casual setting can lead to unintended offensive meanings.