wong4蝗
Jyutpingwong4
Yalewòhng
Definition
Locust; shorthand for locust swarm or plague.
colloquialanimalsnature
How it's used
Locusts are almost exclusively referred to as 蝗蟲 in everyday speech, as the single character 蝗 is a bound morpheme that rarely stands alone. The term has also taken on a derogatory political connotation in Hong Kong when used to describe mainland Chinese tourists or immigrants, often implying they are consuming local resources like a swarm.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
There are many locusts in the field eating the vegetables.
Did a locust plague happen here before?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 蝗 by itself as a noun, as it will sound unnatural or incomplete; always pair it with 蟲 or use it within a compound like 蝗災.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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).
