菠蘿 / 菠萝
bo¹ lo⁴
The English word pineapple is translated into Cantonese as 菠蘿 / 菠萝 (bo¹ lo⁴). Wiktionary also lists 鳳梨 / 凤梨.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 菠蘿 / 菠萝 | bo¹ lo⁴ |
| 鳳梨 / 凤梨 |
The term refers to the tropical fruit. In Cantonese, 菠蘿 / 菠萝 is the standard word for pineapple.
Which one should you use?
While both terms refer to the same fruit, 菠蘿 / 菠萝 is the standard Cantonese term. The alternative form 鳳梨 / 凤梨 is more commonly associated with Mandarin or Taiwanese usage and is less common in daily Cantonese speech than 菠蘿 / 菠萝.
How do you pronounce it?
bo¹ lo⁴
Did you know?
- Because 鳳梨 contains the character for 'phoenix', it is considered a more 'auspicious' name than 菠蘿 in traditional Chinese folk beliefs.
- While 菠蘿 is the standard term in Hong Kong, people in Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia prefer 鳳梨, which literally translates to 'phoenix pear'.
- In Cantonese, the word 菠蘿 / 菠萝 is used to name many baked goods, such as the famous 'pineapple bun' (菠蘿包), even though they contain no actual pineapple.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pineapple” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
