seng1 hang1 hang1腥亨亨
Jyutpingseng1 hang1 hang1
Yalesēng hāng hāng
Definition
Having the strong, foul smell of raw or rotting meat or fish.
colloquialfooddescriptions
How it's used
This reduplicated adjective is used specifically for the pungent, metallic, or rotting smell associated with raw seafood or meat. It carries a strong negative connotation of disgust or lack of freshness. While it can describe the air in a place like a wet market, it is also frequently used to describe the smell lingering on one's hands or clothes after handling raw food.
Examples
These fish have been sitting out for a long time and smell really fishy.
Why does your bag smell like raw fish?
Related words
Common phrases
a fishy or raw-meat smell
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe pleasant smells or general bad odors like garbage or body odor. It is strictly reserved for the specific biological scent of raw or decaying proteins.
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.
