zyu1 jeon2豬膶猪膶
Jyutpingzyu1 jeon2
Yalejyū yéun
Definition
Pig liver, a common ingredient in Chinese cooking.
colloquialfood
How it's used
The character 膶 is a specific Cantonese character used to avoid the homophone 潤, which means to be moist or to profit. Because 潤 sounds like 損, which implies loss or damage, people prefer using the variant 膶 to ensure the name of the food does not carry an unlucky connotation. It is almost exclusively used in the context of food, particularly in names of dishes or at the wet market.
Measure word
faai3塊faiExamples
I want to make pig liver congee for dinner tonight.
Do you like eating pig liver?
Common phrases
pig liver congee
stir-fried pig liver with ginger and scallions
Common mistake
Do not confuse the pronunciation or the written character with 潤. While they are often written interchangeably in menus, 膶 is the culturally preferred character for the organ itself to avoid the negative association with financial loss.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
