maa5 tai2馬蹄马蹄
Jyutpingmaa5 tai2
Yalemáh tái
Definition
Water chestnut; a freshwater herb or its sweet, crunchy edible white corm.
colloquialfooddim sum
How it's used
Refers specifically to the edible corm of the plant, which is prized for its distinctively crunchy texture when raw or cooked. It is a staple ingredient in dim sum and traditional desserts, often used to provide a refreshing contrast to softer ingredients. The name literally translates to horse hoof, describing the shape of the corm.
Measure word
nap1粒nāpExamples
The water chestnuts here are very sweet.
Do you like eating water chestnut cake?
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
