熊貓 / 熊猫
The Cantonese word for panda is 熊貓 / 熊猫. Wiktionary also lists 大熊貓 / 大熊猫 (daai⁶ hung⁴ maau¹).
Meaning: Ailuropoda melanoleuca (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 熊貓 / 熊猫 | |
| 大熊貓 / 大熊猫 | daai⁶ hung⁴ maau¹ |
The term is used to refer to the animal Ailuropoda melanoleuca.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 熊貓 / 熊猫 is composed of the characters for 'bear' (熊) and 'cat' (貓).
Which one should you use?
While 熊貓 / 熊猫 is commonly used, 大熊貓 / 大熊猫 (literally 'big bear cat') is the more precise term used to specify the giant panda.
Did you know?
- In Hong Kong and Guangdong, people often use 熊貓 as a nickname for people with dark circles under their eyes.
- The term 熊貓 / 熊猫 is a relatively modern linguistic invention, as the concept of the 'bear-cat' was only popularized after international contact.
- The character 熊 for 'bear' is an ideogram that originally depicted a creature with a large head and a powerful body.
Examples in context
- 睇呢隻懶熊，好可愛！Look at that panda, it's so cute!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “panda” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
