gik1 sou3激素
Jyutpinggik1 sou3
Yalegīk sou
Definition
Hormone; a chemical substance produced in the body that stimulates cellular activity.
neutralhealthfood
How it's used
Often used in casual conversation to refer to synthetic hormones added to food products like meat or dairy. While it is a scientific term, it carries a strong negative connotation in daily life, frequently appearing in health-related warnings or gossip about food safety.
Examples
This medicine contains a lot of hormones.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 荷爾蒙, which is the direct transliteration of hormone. Both are used, but 激素 is more common when discussing chemical additives or medical side effects, whereas 荷爾蒙 is more common when discussing biological processes or mood.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
