蝙蝠
pin¹ fuk¹
The English word "bat" (the small flying mammal) is translated into Cantonese as 蝙蝠 (pin¹ fuk¹). Wiktionary also lists 飛鼠 / 飞鼠 (fei¹ syu²) and 蝠鼠 (fuk¹ syu²).
Meaning: small flying mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 蝙蝠 | pin¹ fuk¹ |
| 飛鼠 / 飞鼠 | fei¹ syu² |
| 蝠鼠 | fuk¹ syu² |
The term refers to the small flying mammal. While 蝙蝠 is the standard term, you may occasionally encounter other forms like 蝠鼠.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 蝙蝠 (pin¹ fuk¹) is composed of the character 蝙 (pin¹), which refers to a bat and the character 蝠 (fuk¹), which also refers to a bat.
Which one should you use?
蝠鼠 (fuk¹ syu²) literally means "bat-rat" and is a less common way to refer to a bat.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, the term for bat is generally 蝙蝠.
How do you pronounce it?
pin¹ fuk¹
Did you know?
- The word 蝠 (fuk¹) sounds exactly like the word for 'good fortune' or 'happiness' (福). Because of this, bats are often used as symbols of luck in Cantonese culture and traditional art.
- If you are looking for 'good fortune' in a Cantonese context, you might encounter the phrase 'five bats' (五福), which sounds like 'five blessings'.
- The character 蝙 (pin¹) is rarely used in modern daily Cantonese conversation outside of this specific word for bat.
Examples in context
- 嗰度有一隻蝙蝠。go2 dou6 jau5 jat1 zek3 bin1 fuk1.There is a bat over there.
- 我喺山洞見到蝙蝠。ngo5 hai2 saan1 dung6 gin3 dou3 bin1 fuk1.I saw bats in the cave.
Example conversation
雅婷 and 家明 are walking through a dark forest at night.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting家明，你睇睇，上面有蝙蝠！kaa1 ming4, nei5 tai2 tai2, soeng6 min6 jau5 bin1 fuk1!Ka Ming, look, there are bats above us!
- 家明 Ka Ming真係好驚呀。zan1 hai6 hou2 geng1 aa3.It's really scary.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting唔使驚，佢哋會飛走㗎。m4 sai2 geng1, keoi5 dei6 wui5 fei1 zau2 gaa3.Don't be afraid, they will fly away.
- 家明 Ka Ming希望佢哋快啲走。hei1 mong6 keoi5 dei6 faai3 di1 zau6.I hope they leave quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bat” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
