so1 coi3蔬菜
Jyutpingso1 coi3
Yalesō choi
Definition
Vegetables; edible plants, typically green and consisting of leaves or stems, usually excluding grains and fruits.
neutralfood
How it's used
While 蔬菜 is the standard term for vegetables in formal or written contexts, people in Hong Kong almost exclusively use 菜 when speaking casually. Using 蔬菜 in daily conversation can sound slightly clinical or like you are reading from a health brochure. If you are at a wet market or a restaurant, simply asking for 菜 is much more natural.
Measure word
zung3種jungExamples
Eating more vegetables is good for your health.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 蔬菜 as a direct translation for all greens, but it sounds unnatural in casual speech. Stick to 菜 for everyday shopping or dining to avoid sounding like a textbook.
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.
