jing4 gaau1凝膠凝胶
Jyutpingjing4 gaau1
Yaleyìhng gāau
Definition
Gel; a jelly-like substance that behaves like a solid under stable conditions.
neutralother
How it's used
While 凝膠 is the technical term for gel, most Hong Kongers use the loanword 啫喱 when referring to hair products or food items. You will mostly encounter 凝膠 in medical, scientific, or professional product contexts, such as on labels for skincare or industrial adhesives. Using it in casual conversation about hair styling may sound overly formal or clinical.
Measure word
zi1支jīExamples
This gel dries quickly, no need to wait long.
How much hair gel did you use?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 啫喱, which is the standard term for both hair gel and the dessert jelly. Using 凝膠 to describe a dessert would sound very strange and confusing to a native speaker.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
