sai1 joeng4 coi3西洋菜
Jyutpingsai1 joeng4 coi3
Yalesāi yèuhng choi
Definition
Watercress; a common aquatic vegetable used in Guangdong and Hong Kong cuisine.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Watercress is a staple ingredient in Cantonese home cooking, particularly prized for its cooling properties in traditional Chinese medicine. It is almost exclusively used in soups, often paired with pork bones or duck gizzards to balance its slightly peppery flavor. When buying it, look for vibrant green leaves and firm stems, as it wilts quickly.
Measure word
po1樖pōExamples
The weather is cold lately, drinking a bowl of watercress soup is very warming.
Go to the market and buy some more watercress to make soup.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the literal meaning of the characters with the vegetable itself. While it contains the words for Western and Ocean, it is a specific plant species and not a general term for vegetables from the West.
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.
