hung4 dau6 soeng1 si1紅豆相思红豆相思
Jyutpinghung4 dau6 soeng1 si1
Yalehùhng dauh sēung sī
Definition
Lovesickness, or red beans that symbolize the memory of one's love.
writtenemotionfood
How it's used
Originating from the classical poem by Wang Wei, this term uses the red bean as a symbol of deep longing and romantic attachment. It is rarely used in casual daily conversation and carries a heavy, poetic, or literary weight. When used, it often appears in contexts involving gifts, traditional literature, or sentimental expressions of missing someone.
Examples
Holding the red beans of longing, she thinks of her distant lover.
This token of lovesickness represents their relationship.
Related words
Common phrases
Red beans grow in the southern land (the opening line of the famous poem).
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe simple homesickness or general sadness, as it specifically refers to romantic yearning between lovers. It is not a common noun for the food item red bean, which is simply 紅豆.
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.
