zeon3 bou2進補进补
Jyutpingzeon3 bou2
Yalejeun bóu
Definition
To eat nutritious food or tonics to improve one's health.
neutralhealthfood
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the act of consuming tonic foods or herbs to restore vitality, often following traditional Chinese medicine principles. It implies a deliberate effort to improve one's constitution rather than just eating a healthy meal. People often use this during the winter months to prepare the body for the cold.
Examples
The weather is getting colder, it is time to have some nutritious food.
Your body is so weak, do you need to have some nutritious food?
Related words
Common phrases
nutritious tonic soup
appropriate nutritional supplementation
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply eating healthy food, as it carries a stronger connotation of medicinal or restorative intent. It is not used for everyday balanced diets.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
