兔仔
tou³ zai²
The English word rabbit is translated into Cantonese as 兔仔 (tou³ zai²). Wiktionary also lists 白兔 (baak⁶ tou³).
Meaning: mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 兔仔 | tou³ zai² |
| 白兔 | baak⁶ tou³ |
兔仔 is the standard term used to refer to the mammal known as a rabbit.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 兔仔 is composed of 兔, meaning rabbit and 仔, a suffix used to denote something small or a child.
Which one should you use?
兔仔 is the general term for the animal, whereas 白兔 specifically means 'white rabbit' and is often used in descriptive or literary contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
兔仔 is the common, colloquial way to refer to a rabbit in spoken Cantonese. In more formal settings, one might use the word 兔.
How do you pronounce it?
tou³ zai²
Did you know?
- The Mid-Autumn Festival features a legendary 'Jade Rabbit' 玉兔 who lives on the moon and pounds the elixir of life with a mortar and pestle.
- The character 兔 has a highly stylized structure in ancient calligraphy that mimics the long ears of the animal, a visual link that is often lost in modern print.
- When using 兔仔 to refer to a person, it is almost exclusively used for children or in a very playful, teasing way between close friends.
Examples in context
- 兔仔對耳好長、條尾好短。A rabbit has long ears and a short tail.This sentence describes the physical features of a 兔仔.Tatoeba #5733430 by nickyeow, translation #2117 by Zifre
- 攞啲胡蘿蔔俾隻兔食。Give some carrots to the rabbit to eat.
Example conversation
Ka Yan and Tsz Kin are looking at pets in a shop.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan子健，你看嗰隻兔仔好得意呀！zi2 gin6, nei5 hon3 go2 zek3 tou3 zai2 hou2 gwat1 yi3 aa3!Tsz Kin, look at that rabbit, it's so cute!
- 子健 Tsz Kin係喎，佢對耳真係好長。hai6 wo3, keoi5 deoi3 ji5 zan1 hai6 hou2 coeng4.You're right, its ears are really long.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan你想唔想養一隻兔仔？nei5 soeng2 m4 soeng2 joeng5 jat1 zek3 tou3 zai2?Do you want to raise a rabbit?
- 子健 Tsz Kin我想，但我驚唔夠時間照顧。ngo5 soeng2, daan6 ngo5 ging1 m4 gau3 si4 gaan3 ziu1 gu3.I do, but I'm afraid I won't have enough time to take care of it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rabbit” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
