動物 / 动物
The English word "animal" is translated into Cantonese as 動物 / 动物.
The term 動物 / 动物 is used for both biological organisms and in a general sense to refer to creatures.
Meaning: organism other than human (noun)
Did you know?
- When discussing the biological category, Cantonese speakers may use the term 禽獸 / 禽兽 to refer to 'beasts and birds', which is often used as a heavy insult for someone lacking morality.
- The character 物 in 動物 means 'thing' or 'matter', implying that in the linguistic structure of the word, animals are categorized as 'moving things'.
- While 'animal' is a broad term, Cantonese uses highly specific classifiers for different types of animals, such as 隻 / 只 for most small animals and 條 / 条 for long, thin animals like fish or snakes.
Examples in context
- 一隻狗One dog
