hoeng1 gong2 goek3香港腳香港脚
Jyutpinghoeng1 gong2 goek3
Yalehēung góng geuk
Definition
Athlete's foot; a fungal skin infection on the feet.
colloquialhealthbody
How it's used
Despite the name, this condition has no specific connection to the city of Hong Kong. It is a common colloquial term for tinea pedis, and people use it quite casually to describe any persistent fungal infection on the feet. It is often mentioned in the context of wearing damp socks or non-breathable footwear for too long.
Examples
He always wears shoes that make his feet sweat, which caused his athlete's foot.
Related words
Common phrases
athlete's foot flares up
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly believe this is a local disease unique to Hong Kong, but it is simply the standard Cantonese term for athlete's foot. Do not use this to describe any other type of skin rash or injury on the foot.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
