拔仔
poa̍t-á
The English word "guava" is 拔仔 (poa̍t-á) in Hokkien.
The word refers to the fruit known as guava.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Which one should you use?
Âng-kak is an informal way to refer to the fruit.
How do you pronounce it?
poa̍t-á
Did you know?
- Guavas are often paired with a pinch of salt or plum powder in Taiwan and Fujian to enhance their sweetness, a custom common when eating 拔仔.
- The term 拔仔 utilizes the suffix 仔 (á), a common feature in Hokkien to indicate smallness or familiarity, which treats the fruit as a diminutive object.
- The word 拔仔 can vary significantly in tone and pronunciation between the Hokkien spoken in Taiwan and that spoken in Quanzhou or Xiamen.
Examples in context
- 我愛食拔仔。guá ài tsia̍h ba̍t-á.I love eating guava.
- 這个拔仔真甜。chit-ê ba̍t-á tsin tiân.This guava is very sweet.
Example conversation
Two people are at a fruit market.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun志明，你看這款拔仔好無？Chì-ming, lí khuànn che khuan pat-á hó bô?Zhiming, do you think this kind of guava is good?
- 志明 Chi-ming看起來不錯，買來試試看。khàn-lâi put-siò, bé-lâi shì-sì khàn.It looks okay, let's buy some to try.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun那我們買兩斤拔仔。na-nián lán bé nn̄g chin pat-á.Then let's buy two jin of guava.
- 志明 Chi-ming好，我來付錢。hó, guá lâi hù-chîⁿ.Okay, I will pay.
