珍珠
zan¹ zyu¹
The Cantonese word for pearl is 珍珠 (zan¹ zyu¹).
珍珠 means a pearl, such as the rounded concretion produced by a mollusk. In the context of beverages, however, it is used colloquially to refer to the chewy tapioca pearls found in bubble tea.
Meaning: rounded shelly concretion produced by certain mollusks (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
zan¹ zyu¹
Did you know?
- In traditional Cantonese culture, the 'pearl' represents purity and wisdom, which is why the term is often found in names for girls to wish them a refined character.
- Cantonese speakers may use 珍珠 to describe the 'pearls' of sweat that form on the skin during intense heat or nervousness.
- The character 珍 in 珍珠 originally carried the meaning of 'rare' or 'extraordinary', which is why it is used for both jewels and highly prized delicacies.
Examples in context
- 佢送咗一串珍珠畀我女朋友。keoi5 sung3 zo2 jat1 cyun3 zan1 zu2 bei2 ngo5 neoi5 pang4 jau5.He gave my girlfriend a string of pearls.
Example conversation
The two people are looking at jewelry in a store.
- 子健 Tsz Kin嘉欣，你覺得呢啲珍珠點樣？ga1 han1, nei5 gok3 dak1 ni1 di1 zan1 zyu1 dim2 joeng2?Ka Han, what do you think of these pearls?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan我覺得啲珍珠好圓，好有光澤。ngo5 gok3 dak1 di1 zan1 zyu1 hou2 jyun4, hou2 jau5 gwong1 zak1.I think the pearls are very round and glossy.
- 子健 Tsz Kin我想買呢款珍珠耳環畀我媽咪。ngo5 soeng2 maai5 ni1 fun2 zan1 zyu1 ji2 waan4 bei2 ngo5 maa1 mi1.I want to buy these pearl earrings for my mom.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan子健，你媽咪一定會好鍾意。zi2 gin6, nei5 maa1 mi1 jat1 ding6 wui5 hou2 zung1 ji3.Zi Kin, your mom will definitely love them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pearl” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
