lai4藜

Jyutpinglai4

Yalelàih

Definition

Lamb's quarters; fat hen; goosefoot; pigweed.

neutralnaturefood

How it's used

Refers to a specific category of edible or wild weeds often found in rural areas. While technically a botanical term, it is rarely used in urban daily life unless discussing specific traditional vegetables or foraging. It is distinct from modern superfoods like quinoa, which is often phonetically borrowed as 藜麥.

Measure word

fo2棵fó

Examples

le1呢zung3種lai4藜saang1生dak1得hou2好faai3快aa4呀。

This kind of pigweed grows really fast.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知bin1邊dou6度jau5有lai4藜maai6賣？

Do you know where they sell goosefoot?

Common phrases

lai4藜mak6麥

quinoa

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with the trendy health food 藜麥, which is a specific grain. Using 藜 on its own usually refers to the wild plant or weed rather than the grain found in salads.