肚
tou5
The Cantonese word for stomach is 肚 (tou5).
肚 is the common, colloquial way to refer to the stomach or belly in daily conversation.
Meaning: belly (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 肚 refers to the general belly area, 胃 refers specifically to the anatomical organ (the stomach). Additionally, the colloquial term 肚腩 translates to belly.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, 肚 is used instead of 肚子 in informal conversations.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding 皮 (skin) to 肚 creates the term 肚皮, which refers to the surface of the belly or the abdominal wall.
How do you pronounce it?
tou5
Did you know?
- The term 肚 is used in the expression 肚圓, which literally means 'round stomach' and can be a polite or euphemistic way to refer to pregnancy.
- In Cantonese, 肚 can be used to describe the 'belly' of a boat or the underside of an object, not just a biological stomach.
- If you want to describe a person who is incredibly generous or has a broad mind, you might use a term involving the 'stomach' or 'heart' to imply they can 'contain' much, rather than just describing their temperament.
Examples in context
- 我個肚喺度咕咕叫。My stomach is growling.This sentence is useful for describing a growling stomach using 肚.Tatoeba #385981 by nickyeow, translation #64036 by CM
- 空肚飲酒對身體唔好㗎。Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for your health.This sentence is useful for discussing the concept of an empty stomach using 肚.Tatoeba #534265 by nickyeow, translation #18337 by Dejo
- 我食完辣嘢個肚通常都會有啲唔舒服。My stomach is often a bit upset after eating spicy food.This sentence is useful for expressing that the stomach feels uncomfortable using 肚.Tatoeba #11073305 by nickyeow, translation #954196 by CK
Example conversation
Ka Ming and Ya Ting are eating at a restaurant.
- 家明 Ka Ming我個肚好飽，食唔落喇。ngo5 go3 dou2 hou2 baau2, sik6 m4 lok6 laa3.My stomach is so full, I can't eat any more.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting你食得咁快，唔怕個肚唔舒服？nei5 sik6 dak1 gam3 kwai2, m4 paa4 go3 dou2 m4 syu1 fuk6?You ate so fast, aren't you afraid your stomach will feel uncomfortable?
- 家明 Ka Ming唔怕，我個肚好強壯。m4 paa4, ngo5 go3 dou2 hou2 koeng4 zong3.I'm not afraid, my stomach is very strong.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting好啦，慢慢食。hou2 laa1, maan6 maan6 sik6.Alright, eat slowly.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
