蛋
The word for egg in Cantonese is 蛋. If unsure, use 蛋. Wiktionary also lists 雞蛋 / 鸡蛋.
Meaning: edible egg of a domestic fowl, the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese |
|---|
| 蛋 |
| 雞蛋 / 鸡蛋 |
The term refers to the edible egg of a domestic fowl or the contents of an egg used as food. It is frequently used as a suffix in compound words to specify different types of eggs or egg-based components, such as 蛋黃 (egg yolk) or 蛋白 (egg white). Common culinary preparations include scrambled egg, known as 炒蛋 and fried egg, known as 煎蛋.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 蛋黃 literally means 'egg yellow' to refer to the yolk, while 蛋白 literally means 'egg white' to refer to the white.
Which one should you use?
The single character 蛋 is a general term for any egg, whereas 雞蛋 specifically refers to a chicken egg.
When do people say it?
In Cantonese cuisine, 鹹蛋 is a common food that refers specifically to salted duck eggs.
Did you know?
- In Cantonese slang, the word 蛋 is used to refer to testicles, often appearing in insults or expressions of bravery.
- The Cantonese term for 'egg white', 蛋白, is also the word for 'protein' in a biological context, despite the literal translation being 'egg white'.
- In Hong Kong and Guangdong, a 'century egg' is called 皮蛋, which literally means 'skin egg' because of the gel-like outer layer.
Examples in context
- 有雞先定有蛋先？Which came first, the chicken or the egg?This sentence uses 蛋 to discuss the classic riddle of the chicken and the egg.Tatoeba #5730030 by nickyeow, translation #623300 by darinmex
- 我個女好鍾意食蛋黃。My daughter likes egg yolks.This sentence uses 蛋 to describe a preference for egg yolks.Tatoeba #1326684 by nickyeow, translation #251968 by CK
- 我午餐食咗幾塊麵包同埋一隻烚蛋。I ate some bread and a boiled egg for lunch.This sentence uses 蛋 to refer to a boiled egg eaten for lunch.Tatoeba #635065 by nickyeow, translation #259452 by CK
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “egg” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
