蟳
chîm
The Hokkien word for crab is 蟳 (chîm).
蟳 is a noun used to refer to the crustacean known as a crab.
Meaning: crustacean (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is chîm.
Did you know?
- The character 蟳 is a rare character in standard Mandarin but is highly common in the Hokkien lexicon, making it a distinctive marker of the language.
- There is a traditional Taiwanese dish called 蟳蟳米糕 where the crab is steamed inside a sticky rice cake, a specialty of the coastal regions where the word is most common.
- In traditional Hokkien medicine, certain types of 蟳 are believed to have specific health properties and are prescribed as dietary therapy.
Example conversation
Guoqiang and Jiayi are looking at a seafood menu.
- 國強 Kok-kiang佳怡，咱來點蟳吧。Ka-î, lán lâi tiám sūn pa.Jiayi, let's order some crab.
- 佳怡 Chia-yi好啊，我最愛食蟳。hó-ah, guá tsuè ài chia̍h sūn.Sure, I love eating crab the most.
- 國強 Kok-kiang這裡的蟳很出名。tsia ê sūn chin tshut-mih.The crabs here are very famous.
- 佳怡 Chia-yi那我們點兩盤蟳。na-uán lán tiám nn̄g pân sūn.Then let's order two plates of crab.
