gwai3 jyu2桂魚桂鱼

Jyutpinggwai3 jyu2

Yalegwai yú

名詞

Definition

Mandarin fish or Chinese perch.

colloquialfooddim sum

How it's used

Most locals refer to this fish as 桂花魚 rather than just 桂魚. It is highly prized in Cantonese cuisine for its delicate, tender texture and lack of small bones, making it a common choice for steamed fish dishes in restaurants.

Measure word

tiu4條tìuh

Examples

gam1今maan5晚zing1蒸tiu4條gwai3桂faa1花jyu2魚hou2好m4唔hou2好aa4呀？

Shall we steam a mandarin fish tonight?

ni1呢tiu4條gwai3桂faa1花jyu2魚juk6肉zat1質hou2好waat6滑㗎。

The meat of this mandarin fish is very smooth.

Common phrases

cing1清zing1蒸gwai3桂faa1花jyu2魚

steamed mandarin fish

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 鱖魚, which is the formal written name. Using 桂魚 alone in speech might sound slightly unnatural or incomplete to native speakers who almost exclusively use the three-character version.