hek3 sik6吃食
Jyutpinghek3 sik6
Yalehek sihk
Definition
Food, foodstuff, or provisions.
colloquialfood
How it's used
While technically a noun for food, this term is rarely used in everyday spoken Cantonese. Native speakers almost exclusively use 嘢食 or 食物 to refer to food. Using this word can sound slightly archaic or like a direct translation from written Chinese.
Measure word
zung2種júngExamples
There is a lot of delicious food here.
What food did you buy to bring home?
Related words
Common phrases
buy food
Common mistake
Learners often use this because it looks like a simple combination of characters, but it sounds unnatural in casual conversation. Stick to 嘢食 for daily life.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
