紅毛榴槤
hung4 mou4 lau4 lin4
The Cantonese word for soursop is 紅毛榴槤 (hung4 mou4 lau4 lin4).
紅毛榴槤 is a noun used to refer to the soursop fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The name is a compound of two parts: 紅毛 (hung4 mou4), which means 'red hair' and 榴槤 (lau4 lin4), which means 'durian'.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is hung4 mou4 lau4 lin4.
Did you know?
- In Cantonese culinary contexts, the term 榴槤 is often used as a generic category for many different types of spiky-skinned tropical fruits, not just the specific durian species.
- The term 紅毛 (red hair) is used in Cantonese to describe several different tropical plants with reddish bristles, creating a botanical naming pattern based on visual texture.
- While the name implies a 'red' color, most soursops sold in Hong Kong markets are deep green, making the name 紅毛榴槤 a description of the fruit's bristles rather than its overall skin color.
Examples in context
- 我想買紅毛榴槤。ngo5 soeng2 maai5 hung4 mou4 lau4 lin4.I want to buy soursop.
- 呢隻紅毛榴槤好甜。ni1 zek3 hung4 mou4 lau4 lin4 hou2 tim4.This soursop is very sweet.
Example conversation
At a fruit stall in a street market.
- 美玲 Mei Ling子健，你睇，嗰度有紅毛榴槤。zi2 gin6, nei5 tai2, go2 dou6 jau5 hung4 mou4 lau4 lin4.Zi Kin, look, there is soursop over there.
- 子健 Tsz Kin美玲，想唔想買一個？mei5 ling4, soeng2 m4 soeng2 maai5 jat1 go3?Mei Ling, do you want to buy one?
- 美玲 Mei Ling好呀，買個紅毛榴槤返嚟食。hou2 aa3, maai5 go3 hung4 mou4 lau4 lin4 faan1 lai4 sik6.Sure, let's buy a soursop to eat.
- 子健 Tsz Kin好，即刻去買。hou2, zik1 hak1 heoi3 maai5.Okay, let's go buy it right now.
