餃子 / 饺子
gaau² zi²
The Cantonese word for "dumpling" is 餃子 / 饺子 (gaau² zi²).
Meaning: food (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Guangzhou, the term har gau (蝦餃) is commonly used to refer to shrimp dumplings.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is gaau² zi².
Did you know?
- In Cantonese culture, the shape of 餃子 is designed to resemble a traditional silver ingot, which is why they are eaten during the Lunar New Year to attract wealth.
- The translucent skin of the 蝦餃 (shrimp dumpling) is made from wheat starch rather than flour, which is why it becomes clear when steamed.
- The character 子 (zi²) at the end of 餃子 is a common noun suffix in many Chinese words, but it does not mean 'child' or 'son' in this specific culinary context.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dumpling” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
