雞飯
koe-pn̄g
Chicken rice in Hokkien is 雞飯 (koe-pn̄g).
雞飯 refers to a dish consisting of cooked rice served with pieces of chicken.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 雞 (koe), meaning chicken and 飯 (pn̄g), meaning rice.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is koe-pn̄g.
Did you know?
- In some Hokkien-speaking regions, the term pn̄g can be used metaphorically to describe a person's livelihood or 'bread and butter', as rice is the fundamental source of life.
- In traditional Hokkien culture, offering a meal of koe-pn̄g to guests can be a sign of hospitality and prosperity, as chicken was historically a more prized protein than pork.
- While 雞飯 simply means 'chicken rice', in Singapore and Malaysia, the phrase can specifically trigger a debate over whether the 'true' version is the Hainanese style or the Cantonese style.
Examples in context
- 這碗雞飯真好食。chit uán ke-pnán chin hó-chia̍h.This bowl of chicken rice is delicious.
Example conversation
Jiahao and Meiling are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 家豪 Ka-hao美玲，咱來食雞飯好無？Bí-lîng, lán lâi chia̍g ke-pn̄g hó-bô?Meiling, shall we go eat chicken rice?
- 美玲 Mei-ling好啊，我也想食雞飯。hó-ah, guá iā siáng chia̍g ke-pn̄g.Sure, I want to eat chicken rice too.
- 家豪 Ka-hao那間店的雞飯最好吃。ná kan tiám ê ke-pn̄g chùi hó-chia̍h.That shop's chicken rice is the most delicious.
- 美玲 Mei-ling行吧，趕快去買。kiânn-pò, kán-khuài khì bé.Let's go, let's buy it quickly.
