mat6 fung1 dau3蜜蜂竇蜜蜂窦
Jyutpingmat6 fung1 dau3
Yalemaht fūng dau
Definition
Beehive; a structure where bees live and store honey.
colloquialanimalsnature
How it's used
Refers specifically to the structure built by bees to house their colony and store honey. While it literally describes the physical nest, it is also frequently used metaphorically in Hong Kong to describe a place that is extremely busy, chaotic, or crowded with people moving about constantly.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
There is a huge beehive up on that tree.
You better not go and mess with that beehive, it is very dangerous.
Related words
Common phrases
to poke a beehive (often used metaphorically for stirring up trouble)
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the term 蜂巢, which is the more formal or scientific name for a honeycomb or beehive. While 蜂巢 is understood, 蜜蜂竇 is the natural, colloquial way to refer to the hive in everyday speech.
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.
