熊
hung⁴
The English word bear is translated into Cantonese as 熊 (hung⁴). Wiktionary also lists 熊人.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 熊 | hung⁴ |
| 熊人 |
The term refers to the large mammal of the family Ursidae.
How do you pronounce it?
hung⁴
Did you know?
- While 熊 refers to the animal, the term 熊貓 (panda) literally translates to 'bear cat', illustrating how Cantonese classifies the species.
- In Cantonese culture, the phrase 熊樣 can be used to describe someone with a clumsy or goofy appearance, evoking the lumbering movement of a 熊.
- In the Cantonese zodiac and folklore, the 熊 is not one of the twelve animals, meaning it lacks the astrological significance that animals like the tiger or dragon possess.
Examples in context
- 之利料有隻熊衝緊埋來。Ziri expected a bear to rush at him.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe a bear rushing toward someone using 熊.Tatoeba #12065356 by thesilhouette, translation #11370266 by Amastan
Example conversation
Siu Kin and Ka Yan are looking at animals in a zoo.
- 子健 Tsz Kin你睇下嗰隻熊。nei tai ha go zek hungLook at that bear.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan佢喺度瞓覺喎。keoi hai dou fan gaau woIt's sleeping.
- 子健 Tsz Kin佢個樣好可愛。keoi go joeng hou ko oiIt looks very cute.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan係，好似個大玩具咁。hai, hou ci go da wan geu gamYes, it's like a big toy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
