番石榴
The Cantonese word for guava is 番石榴.
番石榴 is a noun used to refer to the guava fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Did you know?
- The word 番 is used in many other Cantonese fruit names, such as 番茄 for tomato and 番荔枝 for lychee, indicating a shared history of imported produce.
- In Hong Kong and Guangdong, you will often find 番石榴 sold with a pinch of plum powder 梅粉 to enhance its flavor.
- The characters 石榴 literally mean 'stone pomegranate'. This shows that early Cantonese speakers categorized the guava as a relative of the pomegranate due to its appearance.
Examples in context
- 呢個番石榴好甜。ni1 go3 faan1 sek6 lau4 hou2 tim4.This guava is very sweet.
- 我想買個番石榴。ngo5 soeng2 maai5 go3 faan1 sek6 lau4.I want to buy a guava.
Example conversation
Two friends are shopping for fruit at a market.
- 美玲 Mei Ling志強，你想唔想試下番石榴？zi3 keong4, nei5 soeng2 bat soeng2 si3 haa5 faan1 sek2 lau4?Zi Keong, do you want to try some guava?
- 志強 Chi Keung好啊，呢啲番石榴睇落好新鮮。hou2 aa1, ni1 di1 faan1 sek2 lau4 tai2 lok6 hou2 san1 sin1.Sure, these guavas look very fresh.
- 美玲 Mei Ling我哋買兩個番石榴返去啦。ngo5 dei6 maai5 loeng2 go3 faan1 sek2 lau4 faan1 heoi3 laa1.Let's buy two guavas to take home.
- 志強 Chi Keung冇問題，我嚟畀錢。mou5 man6 tai4, ngo5 lai4 bei2 cin2.No problem, I'll pay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “guava” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
