乳房
jyu5 fong4
The English word 'breast' is translated into Cantonese as 乳房 (jyu5 fong4), which refers to the milk-producing organ.
乳房 is used to refer specifically to the female breast. In daily conversation, speakers often use the more colloquial term 奶 to refer to both the milk and the breast itself.
Meaning: milk-producing organ (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 乳 (jyu5), meaning 'milk' and 房 (fong4), meaning 'room' or 'chamber', literally translating to 'milk chamber'.
Which one should you use?
While 乳房 is the specific anatomical term for the female breast, the word 奶 is a colloquial alternative used in everyday speech to refer to both the organ and the milk it produces. Another formal term is 胸, which is a common way to say 'breast'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
乳房 is a formal or medical term, making it most appropriate for anatomical discussions or literary contexts. In contrast, 奶 is the informal, everyday choice.
How do you pronounce it?
jyu5 fong4
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the word for 'breast' or 'chest', 胸, is used to describe the 'heart' in the sense of inner feelings, such as in 胸襟, referring to a person's breadth of mind.
- While 乳房 is anatomical, the character 乳 is also used in the word 乳名, which refers to a 'milk name' or a childhood nickname given by parents.
- The colloquial term 奶 is used in the common phrase 奶茶, which means 'milk tea'. This creates a linguistic link between the organ and the drink in everyday speech.
Examples in context
- 就好似當一條蛇噉，喺冬天嘅寒冷入面 / 躺喺地上腫咗，隱藏喺地下，唔見人眼，/吞咗好多草本植物，向光明出發，/又光滑，有閃閃發光嘅青春同新衣，/用佢滑溜嘅體積，直立 / 同埋，光輝，向陽光抬起佢嘅乳房， / 同埋飛出一條三叉尖嘅脷。As when a snake, that through the winter's cold / lay swoln and hidden in the ground from sight, / gorged with rank herbs, forth issues to the light, / and sleek with shining youth and newly drest, / wreathing its slippery volumes, towers upright / and, glorying, to the sunbeam rears its breast, / and darts a three-forked tongue, and points a flaming crest.This example shows the use of 乳房 in a literary context describing a snake.Tatoeba #13493200 by Davidgo5867, translation #6834082 by carlosalberto
- 醫生檢查咗佢嘅乳房。ji1 sang1 cin2 co2 taa1 keoi5 ge3 jyu5 fong1.The doctor examined her breast.
Example conversation
A doctor is consulting a patient about a health checkup.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung醫生，我最近覺得乳房好痛。ji1 sang1, ngo5 zeoi3 gan6 gok3 dak1 jyu2 fong4 hou2 tung3.Doctor, I've been feeling pain in my breast lately.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit你係邊一邊乳房痛？nei6 hai6 bin1 jat1 bin1 jyu2 fong4 tung3?Which breast is hurting?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung係左邊嗰個。hai6 zo2 bin1 go3 go3.It's the left one.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit等我幫你檢查一下。dang2 ngo5 bong1 nei6 gim2 caa4 jat1 haa6.Let me examine it for you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
