mei5 mei6美味
Jyutpingmei5 mei6
Yaleméih meih
Definition
Delicious, tasty, or flavorful.
neutralfooddescriptions
How it's used
While this word is understood by all speakers, it carries a slightly formal or literary tone compared to the ubiquitous colloquial term 好食 or the slang term 好正. It is frequently encountered in written menus, food reviews, or advertisements rather than casual conversation between friends. Using it in everyday speech can make you sound like you are reading from a brochure or trying to be overly descriptive.
Examples
The food at this restaurant is very delicious.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often overuse this word in casual settings where 好食 is much more natural. It is also rarely used to describe simple, home-cooked snacks, as it implies a certain level of sophistication or high quality in the preparation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
