zam6 duk6鴆毒鸩毒
Jyutpingzam6 duk6
Yalejahm duhk
Definition
Poisoned wine, traditionally prepared by dipping the feathers of the mythical zhen bird in sake.
writtenfoodother
How it's used
This term is derived from the mythical bird known as the zhen, whose feathers were historically believed to be highly toxic. It is almost exclusively used in literary contexts, historical dramas, or when describing dramatic, fatal betrayals in a metaphorical sense. You will rarely hear it in casual conversation unless someone is making a deliberate, theatrical reference to ancient history or wuxia fiction.
Measure word
bui1杯būiExamples
He drank a cup of poisoned wine and immediately stopped breathing.
Related words
Common phrases
to drink poisoned wine to quench thirst; a temporary solution that causes greater disaster
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe food poisoning or accidental ingestion of chemicals, as it specifically implies a deliberate, often malicious act of poisoning someone through a drink.
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).
