je4 coi3椰菜
Jyutpingje4 coi3
Yaleyèh choi
Definition
Cabbage; a round vegetable with tightly wrapped layers of pale green and yellowish-white leaves.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Refers specifically to the common round head cabbage found in local markets. While the term 包心菜 is also understood, 椰菜 is the standard way to refer to this vegetable in Hong Kong grocery stores and restaurants. It is frequently used in stir-fries or boiled in soups to add natural sweetness to the broth.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Shall we stir-fry a plate of cabbage for dinner tonight?
This cabbage is very sweet, it is perfect for making soup.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 西蘭花, which is broccoli, or 菜心, which is choy sum. Learners sometimes mistakenly use 椰菜 to describe leafy greens in general, but it specifically refers to the dense, ball-shaped variety.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
