pong5蚌
Jyutpingpong5
Yalepóhng
Definition
Mussel; a freshwater bivalve mollusk with a symmetrical shell.
colloquialfoodnature
How it's used
While technically referring to freshwater mussels, the term is often used loosely in casual speech to describe various bivalves. It is frequently associated with Cantonese soups, where it is prized for adding a sweet, umami depth to the broth. Unlike some other shellfish, it is rarely eaten raw and almost always requires thorough cleaning and cooking.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
This mussel is huge, it's perfect for making soup.
Do you know where to buy fresh mussels?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 蜆, which specifically refers to clams. While they are both bivalves, they are distinct in culinary and biological terms in Hong Kong.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
