hei1 faan6稀飯稀饭
Jyutpinghei1 faan6
Yalehēi faahn
Definition
Porridge, congee, or watery rice gruel.
colloquialfood
How it's used
While this term is understood by Cantonese speakers, it is heavily influenced by Mandarin and is less common in daily Hong Kong life than 粥. Using 粥 is the standard way to refer to any type of rice porridge, regardless of its consistency or ingredients. If you use 稀飯, it sounds slightly more formal or like a direct translation from Mandarin.
Measure word
wun2碗wúnExamples
I'm having congee for breakfast this morning.
Related words
Common phrases
a bowl of congee
Common mistake
Learners often use this term thinking it is the standard Cantonese word for congee, but it can sound unnatural or overly literary in a casual setting. Stick to 粥 for everyday conversations to sound more authentic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
