tung1 sam1 fan2通心粉
Jyutpingtung1 sam1 fan2
Yaletūng sām fán
Definition
Macaroni; a type of hollow pasta often eaten in soup in Hong Kong.
colloquialfood
How it's used
Local cafes almost exclusively use the shortened form 通粉 on their menus. It is a staple of the classic Hong Kong breakfast, frequently served in a light chicken or ham broth rather than with heavy tomato or cream sauces. Ordering it with luncheon meat or ham is considered a quintessential local experience.
Measure word
wun2碗wúnRelated words
Common phrases
macaroni with ham
macaroni with luncheon meat
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 意粉, which refers specifically to long, thin spaghetti or pasta in general. While 通粉 is a type of pasta, using 意粉 to describe macaroni will sound unnatural to locals.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Particle
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
