叢林
The English word "jungle" is translated into Cantonese as 叢林.
叢林 is a noun used to describe a large, undeveloped and humid forest.
Meaning: large, undeveloped, humid forest (noun)
Did you know?
- When referring to the 'urban jungle' of Hong Kong, speakers typically avoid 叢林 and instead use 水泥森林, which literally means 'cement forest'.
- A Cantonese speaker might use the phrase 叢林法则, which translates to 'jungle law', to describe the 'survival of the fittest' mentality in business or politics.
- The character 叢 is used in 叢林 because it describes things growing in clusters, which is why the same word is used for small 'clusters' of flowers in a garden.
Examples in context
- 我們要進入叢林冒險。We are going to venture into the jungle.
- 叢林中有很多珍稀動物。There are many rare animals in the jungle.
- 嗰個叢林好深，好多野獸。go2 go3 cung4 lam4 hou2 sam1, hou2 do1 je5 sau2.That jungle is very deep, with many wild animals.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a documentary they watched about nature.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan你有無睇過嗰部關於叢林嘅紀錄片？nei5 jau5 mou5 tai2 gwo3 go2 bou6 gwaan1 jyu1 cung4 lam4 ge3 gei3 luk6 pin2?Have you watched that documentary about the jungle?
- 子健 Tsz Kin睇過，啲畫面真係好壯觀。tai2 gwo3, di1 waa6 jin4 hai6 hou2 zong3 gwai1.I have, the footage is truly spectacular.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan我覺得入面啲植物好茂盛。ngo5 gok3 dak1 jap6 min6 di1 zik6 mat6 hou2 mau6 sing6.I think the plants inside are very lush.
- 子健 Tsz Kin係呀，睇落去好似好熱咁。hai6 aa3, tai2 lok6 heoi3 hou2 ci5 hou2 jit6 gam2.Yes, it looks like it's very hot there.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
