ning4 mung1檸檬柠檬
Jyutpingning4 mung1
Yalenìhng mūng
Definition
Lemon; the sour, yellow, oval-shaped citrus fruit.
colloquialfooddrink
How it's used
Beyond the fruit itself, the term is frequently used in the slang expression 派檸檬, which describes the act of rejecting someone's romantic advances. It carries a sense of bitterness or disappointment, mirroring the sharp taste of the fruit. When ordering drinks, it is standard to specify whether you want the lemon slices to be pressed or left whole.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
How many lemons did you buy to bring home?
Related words
Common phrases
lemon water
lemon tea
to reject someone romantically
Common mistake
Avoid using it to describe lime, which is specifically referred to as 青檸. While both are citrus, they are distinct in culinary applications and flavor profiles in Hong Kong.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
