長頸鹿 / 长颈鹿
The English word giraffe is 長頸鹿 / 长颈鹿 in Cantonese.
The term refers to the mammal known as a giraffe.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 長 (long), 頸 (neck) and 鹿 (deer), literally meaning "long-neck-deer".
Did you know?
- In Cantonese wordplay, the sound of the word for deer, 鹿, is homophonous with the word for 'wealth' or 'prosperity', 祿, adding a lucky layer to the name.
- In Cantonese culture, the 鹿 (deer) part of the word carries a connotation of longevity and prosperity, as deer are seen as auspicious animals in East Asian mythology.
- While 長頸鹿 is the standard term, children in Hong Kong sometimes use the English word 'giraffe' mixed into Cantonese sentences, a common habit called 'code-switching'.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “giraffe” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
