saa1 leot6沙律
Jyutpingsaa1 leot6
Yalesā leuht
Definition
Salad; a cold dish of mixed vegetables or fruits with dressing.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Borrowed directly from English, this term is the standard way to refer to any salad in Hong Kong. It is frequently paired with specific ingredients like 薯仔 or 水果 to describe the type of salad being served. Unlike some other loanwords, it has completely replaced any potential native Chinese equivalent in daily speech.
Measure word
dip2碟dípExamples
The Caesar salad here is very fresh.
Do you like eating potato salad or fruit salad?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse this with the Mandarin term 沙拉, which is also understood but sounds distinctly non-local in a Hong Kong context.
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.
