gwat1橘
Jyutpinggwat1
Yalegwāt
Definition
Mandarin orange or tangerine; a round, orange citrus fruit with a sweet and sour taste.
neutralfood
How it's used
While 橘 is the formal or literary term for this fruit, most Cantonese speakers in daily life prefer using 橙 or 柑 to refer to citrus fruits. You will rarely hear 橘 used in casual conversation, as it sounds somewhat academic or like a direct translation from written Chinese. It is more commonly encountered in formal contexts or when discussing specific varieties of citrus.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
This tangerine is very sweet, do you want to eat one?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 桔, which is often used in the context of the Lunar New Year for decorative potted plants. Using 橘 in a casual setting might make you sound like you are reading from a textbook rather than speaking naturally.
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.
