蜜瓜
mat⁶ gwaa¹
The English phrase honeydew melon is translated into Cantonese as 蜜瓜 (mat⁶ gwaa¹).
Meaning: melon from the Cucumis melo Inodorous group cultivar group with sweet, light green or white flesh and a smooth greenish-white or yellow rind (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 蜜 (mat⁶), meaning honey and 瓜 (gwaa¹), meaning melon or gourd.
How do you pronounce it?
mat⁶ gwaa¹
Did you know?
- In traditional Cantonese medicine, melons like 蜜瓜 (mat⁶ gwaa¹) are categorized as 'cooling' foods that help balance the 'internal heat' of the body during humid summers.
- The word 蜜 (mat⁶) for 'honey' is also used in Cantonese to describe something that is 'sweet' or 'affectionate' in a romantic context.
- The character 瓜 (gwaa¹) is a pictograph that originally resembled a vine with a hanging gourd, a shape that has remained largely unchanged for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- 我鍾意食蜜瓜，好解渴！I love honeydew melon. It's so refreshing!
- 呢個蜜瓜好甜。ni1 go3 mat6 gwaa1 hou2 tim4.This honeydew melon is very sweet.
- 我想買個蜜瓜。ngo5 soeng2 maai5 go3 mat6 gwaa1.I want to buy a honeydew melon.
- 超市有賣蜜瓜嗎？ciu1 si5 jau5 maai6 mat6 gwaa1 maa1?Does the supermarket sell honeydew melons?
Example conversation
At a fruit stall in a local market.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan呢個蜜瓜幾多錢一個？ni1 go3 mat6 gwaa1 gei2 do1 cin4 jat1 go3?How much is this honeydew melon?
- 家明 Ka Ming一個三十蚊。jat1 go3 saam1 sap6 man1.Thirty dollars for one.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan好呀，幫我拎一個。hou2 aa3, bong1 ngo5 ling1 jat1 go3.Okay, please get one for me.
- 家明 Ka Ming冇問題，等我幫你執。mou5 man6 tai4, dang2 ngo5 bong1 nei5 zap1.No problem, let me pick it for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honeydew melon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
