青瓜
ceng¹ gwaa¹
The English word 'cucumber' is 青瓜 (ceng¹ gwaa¹) in Cantonese. Wiktionary also lists 黃瓜 / 黄瓜 (wong⁴ gwaa¹).
Meaning: edible fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 青瓜 | ceng¹ gwaa¹ |
| 黃瓜 / 黄瓜 | wong⁴ gwaa¹ |
Both terms refer to the edible fruit known as a cucumber.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 青瓜 literally means 'green cucumber'.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ceng¹ gwaa¹.
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the word 瓜 is used as a general term for melons and gourds, but it is also used as a slang term to describe someone who is naive or easily fooled.
- In traditional Cantonese medicine and food therapy, cucumbers are categorized as 'cold' foods, meaning they are believed to lower the body's internal temperature.
- The character 青 in 青瓜 can represent a wide spectrum of colors from light green to deep blue or even black in other contexts.
Examples in context
- 我食緊青瓜。I am eating a cucumber.Tatoeba #5733423 by nickyeow, translation #870110 by user
- 我想買兩條青瓜。ngo5 soeng2 maai5 loeng5 tiu4 cing1 gwa1.I want to buy two cucumbers.
- 呢個青瓜好脆。ni1 go3 cing1 gwa1 hou2 ceoi3.This cucumber is very crunchy.
Example conversation
Ka Yan and Jun Jit are preparing a salad in the kitchen.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan俊傑，幫我洗個青瓜。Jun1 Git3, bong1 ngo5 sai2 go3 cing1 gwaa1.Jun Jit, help me wash a cucumber.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit好，你想我點樣切？hou2, nei5 soeng2 ngo5 dim2 joeng2 cit1?Okay, how do you want me to cut it?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan請將個青瓜切成圓片。cing2 zoeng1 go3 cing1 gwaa1 cit1 sing4 jyun4 pin2.Please cut the cucumber into slices.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit冇問題，我而家就做。mou5 man6 tai4, ngo5 ji4 gaa1 zau6 zou6.No problem, I'll do it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cucumber” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
