越南河粉
The Cantonese term for the Vietnamese soup pho is 越南河粉. Wiktionary also lists 越南粉 (jyut⁶ naam⁴ fan²) and 越南河.
Meaning: Vietnamese soup (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 越南河粉 | |
| 越南粉 | jyut⁶ naam⁴ fan² |
| 越南河 |
The term refers to the Vietnamese rice noodle soup.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 越南河粉 is composed of 越南 (Vietnam) and 河粉 (flat rice noodles), with the context of a soup dish implied.
Which one should you use?
越南河粉 is the full name for the dish, while 越南粉 is a common shortened version used to mean Vietnamese noodles. 越南河 is another variant of the term.
Did you know?
- The word 河粉 in 越南河粉 literally means 'river noodles'. This describes the smooth and flat shape of the rice noodles, which are meant to resemble the flow of a river.
- In a Cantonese setting, if you order 越南河粉 and specify 'dry' 乾拌, you will receive the noodles tossed in sauce without the broth, though the broth is often served in a side bowl.
- While 河粉 refers to the flat noodles in 越南河粉, Cantonese speakers use the same word to describe the staple noodles in 'Char Kway Teow' or 'Beef Chow Fun'.
Examples in context
- 佢叫咗碟新鮮河粉He ordered a plate of fresh rice noodles.
- 我想食越南河粉。ngo5 soeng2 sik6 jyut6 naam4 ho4 fan2.I want to eat Vietnamese pho.
- 呢碗越南河粉好正。ni1 wun2 jyut6 naam4 ho4 fan2 hou2 zeng3.This bowl of Vietnamese pho is delicious.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to have for lunch.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit嘉欣，我哋食越南河粉好唔好？ga1 san1, ngo5 dei6 sik6 jyut6 naam4 ho4 fan2 hou2 m4 hou2?Ka Hin, shall we eat pho?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan好呀，我好鍾意食。hou2 aa3, ngo5 hou2 zung1 ji3 sik6.Sure, I love eating it.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit附近有一間好出名。fu6 gan2 jau5 jat1 gaan1 hou2 ceot1 ming4.There is a famous one nearby.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan快啲行去睇下啦。faai3 di1 haang4 heoi3 tai2 haa5 laa1.Let's walk there and check it out quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pho” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
