maang5蜢
Jyutpingmaang5
Yalemáahng
Definition
Grasshopper; short for 草蜢 (cou2 maang2) used in compounds.
colloquialanimals
How it's used
While 蜢 is technically a character for grasshopper, it is almost never used in isolation in modern spoken Cantonese. It primarily exists as a component of the full term 草蜢. Using 蜢 alone can sound slightly poetic or like a specific dialectal usage, so sticking to the full term is safer for daily communication.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Do you see where the grasshopper is?
Related words
Common phrases
grasshopper
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 蜢 as a standalone noun for any insect, but it is specifically reserved for the grasshopper family. Using it to describe other bugs will lead to confusion.
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.
