栗子
leot⁶ zi²
The English word "chestnut" is translated into Cantonese as 栗子 (leot⁶ zi²).
栗子 refers to the edible nut of the Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut tree, or nuts from similar related shrubs and trees.
Meaning: edible nut of the Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), nut from a related shrub or tree, similar nut from an unrelated plant (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is leot⁶ zi².
Did you know?
- The character 子 in 栗子 is a common noun suffix in Cantonese that turns a plant name into a countable object, even though it literally means 'child'.
- In Hong Kong, roasted 栗子 are a quintessential winter street snack, traditionally sold in large blackened iron woks over open charcoal fires.
- Chestnuts are occasionally used in Cantonese savory braised dishes, where they act as a natural thickener and sweetener for the sauce.
Examples in context
- 呢啲栗子好甜。ni1 di1 lat6 zi2 hou2 tim4.These chestnuts are very sweet.
- 我想買一袋栗子。ngo5 soeng2 maai5 jat1 doi6 lat6 zi2.I want to buy a bag of chestnuts.
- 街邊賣緊炒栗子。gaai1 bin1 maai6 gan2 caau3 lat6 zi2.They are selling roasted chestnuts on the street.
Example conversation
At a street food stall in the evening.
- 美玲 Mei Ling呢度啲炒栗子好香。ni1 dou6 di1 caau3 lat6 zi2 hou2 hoeng1.The roasted chestnuts here smell wonderful.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit係呀，想唔想試吓？hai6 aa3, soeng2 m4 soeng2 si3 haa5?Yes, do you want to try some?
- 美玲 Mei Ling好呀，好想食。hou2 aa3, hou2 soeng2 sik6.Sure, I really want to eat some.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit等我幫你買一份。dang2 ngo5 bong1 nei5 maai5 jat1 fan6.Wait, let me buy a portion for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chestnut” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
