muk6 sai1木樨
Jyutpingmuk6 sai1
Yalemuhk sāi
Definition
Sweet osmanthus (a plant)
neutralnature
How it's used
Botanical names like this are rarely used in casual daily conversation unless discussing gardening or specific traditional desserts. Most people in Hong Kong refer to the flower as 桂花 instead of the more formal or literary term 木樨. Using this term might sound slightly academic or poetic rather than like everyday speech.
Measure word
fo2棵fóExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with other floral terms because it is not the standard colloquial name for the plant. Always prefer 桂花 for general communication to avoid sounding overly formal or archaic.
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.
