pui3 coi3配菜
Jyutpingpui3 coi3
Yalepui choi
Definition
Side dish; food served alongside a main course to complement it and improve presentation.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the visual or textural enhancement of a meal rather than just a secondary portion of food. While it can refer to simple garnishes like parsley, it more commonly describes substantial items like grilled vegetables or salads served alongside a main protein. It is a standard term used in both casual dining and restaurant menus.
Measure word
dip2碟dípExamples
The side dish for this steak is mashed potatoes.
Have you ordered the main course? What would you like for the side dish?
Related words
Common phrases
a rich variety of side dishes
to choose side dishes
Common mistake
Avoid confusing this with 餸, which refers to any dish eaten with rice in a typical Cantonese meal. 配菜 implies a specific supporting role to a main dish, whereas 餸 is a general term for the food items on the table.
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.
