椰子
je⁴ zi²
The Cantonese word for coconut is 椰子, pronounced je⁴ zi².
椰子 is used to refer to the fruit of the coco palm. If you need to specifically refer to the flesh or meat of the coconut, you can add the word for meat, 肉 (juk⁶), to the end of the phrase to get 椰肉.
Meaning: fruit of coco palm (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is je⁴ zi².
Did you know?
- The character 椰 is actually a phonetic loanword from an older transcription of the word 'coco', rather than being a character that describes the plant's appearance.
- Cantonese cuisine uses 椰子 not just for flavor but as a steaming vessel, where fish or chicken is cooked inside the shell to infuse the meat with a subtle aroma.
- When ordering a coconut in a Cantonese restaurant, asking for 椰青 specifically refers to a young, green coconut with water and soft flesh, as opposed to the mature 椰子.
Examples in context
- 他喜欢喝椰青。He likes drinking coconut water.
- 呢粒椰子好大。ni1 lap1 je4 zi2 hou2 daai6.This coconut is very large.
Example conversation
Two friends are at a tropical fruit market.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung子健，你想唔想試下呢個椰子？zi2 gin6, nei5 soeng2 m4 soeng2 si3 haa2 nei1 go3 jip2 zi2?Zi Jian, do you want to try this coconut?
- 子健 Tsz Kin好呀，椰子水好清爽。hou2 aa3, jip2 zi2 seoi2 hou2 cing1 song2.Sure, coconut water is very refreshing.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我哋買兩個椰子返屋企啦。ngo5 dei6 maai5 loeng2 go3 jip2 zi2 faan1 uk1 kei2 laa1.Let's buy two coconuts to take home.
- 子健 Tsz Kin冇問題，曉彤你揀啦。mou4 man6 tai4, hiu2 tung4 nei5 gaan2 laa1.No problem, Hiu Tung, you pick them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coconut” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
