hoeng1 zing1香精

Jyutpinghoeng1 zing1

Yalehēung jīng

名詞Rare

Definition

Essence, fragrance, or flavoring; any natural or synthetic substance that releases a pleasant scent.

colloquialfooddescriptions

How it's used

Often carries a negative connotation in food contexts, implying that a product is artificial or lacks authentic ingredients. While it refers to both natural and synthetic substances, speakers frequently use it to criticize processed food or cheap air fresheners. When discussing high quality ingredients, people prefer to use specific terms like 雲呢拿油 or 玫瑰精油 instead.

Measure word

zek3隻jek

Examples

le1呢zi1支hoeng1香zing1精zan6陣mei2味hou2好gaa3假aa4呀。

The scent of this essence is very fake.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪gaa1加zo2咗hou2好do1多hoeng1香zing1精lok6落heoi3去？

Did you add a lot of essence into it?

Common phrases

jan4人gung1工hoeng1香zing1精

artificial essence

hei3汽ce1車hoeng1香zing1精

car air freshener

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 香水, which is specifically for personal fragrance. Using 香精 to describe perfume can sound like you are referring to a raw, industrial chemical component rather than a finished beauty product.