sou1 haa1 zai2臊蝦仔臊虾仔
Jyutpingsou1 haa1 zai2
Yalesōu hā jái
Definition
Baby; infant.
colloquialpeoplefamily
How it's used
This term carries a nostalgic and affectionate tone, often used by older generations to refer to a newborn. It specifically evokes the image of a tiny, fragile infant, similar to how one might use 'little one' in English. Because it is somewhat dated, younger speakers might find it sounds old-fashioned or overly cutesy compared to modern terms like BB.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal meaning of shrimp, as the term is strictly used for human infants. It is not a standard term for animals or other small creatures.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
