蜜蜂
mat⁶ fung¹
The English word "bee" is 蜜蜂 (mat⁶ fung¹) in Cantonese.
The word refers to the bee insect.
Meaning: insect (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
蜜蜂 is composed of 蜜 (mat⁶), meaning honey and 蜂 (fung¹), meaning bee or insect.
How do you pronounce it?
mat⁶ fung¹
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the word 蜂 is often used as a suffix for anything that swarms or crowds together, such as 蜂擁, which describes a crowd of people rushing into a place.
- When describing someone as 'busy as a bee', a Cantonese speaker might use a different idiom involving 'ants' instead.
- The character 蜜 for 'honey' is also used in the word 蜜月 to mean 'honeymoon', reflecting the sweetness of a new marriage.
Examples in context
- 嗰隻蜜蜂好大隻。go2 zek3 mat6 fung1 hou2 daai6 zek3.That bee is very big.
- 花叢入面有好多蜜蜂。faa1 cung4 jap6 min6 jau5 hou2 do1 mat6 fung1.There are many bees in the flowers.
- 小心，有一隻蜜蜂喺度。siu2 sam1, jau5 jat1 zek3 mat6 fung1 hai2 dou6.Be careful, there is a bee here.
Example conversation
Two friends are walking in a garden.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting家明，你睇吓嗰隻蜜蜂。gaa1 ming4, nei5 tai2 haa5 go2 zek3 mat6 fung1.Ka Ming, look at that bee.
- 家明 Ka Ming佢喺邊度呀？keoi5 hai2 bin1 dou6 aa3?Where is it?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting喺嗰朵紅花上面。hai2 go2 do1 hung4 faa1 soeng6 min6.It is on that red flower.
- 家明 Ka Ming原來係喺度。jyun4 coi2 hai2 hai2 dou6.Oh, so it is there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bee” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
