seng1 hei3腥氣腥气
Jyutpingseng1 hei3
Yalesēng hei
Definition
The smell of fish; a fishy odor.
colloquialfooddescriptions
How it's used
While 腥氣 specifically describes the raw, pungent odor of fish or raw meat, it is often used metaphorically to describe a situation that feels suspicious or "shady." It carries a stronger, more visceral connotation than just saying something is 腥. When describing the smell of seafood in a kitchen context, native speakers often drop the 氣 and simply use 腥.
Examples
This fish smells very fishy, wash it clean before cooking.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 腥味, which is a neutral noun for the smell itself. 腥氣 is often used as an adjective to describe the quality of an object or an environment, whereas 腥味 is the scent that is being perceived.
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.
