How to Say "Corn" in Cantonese

粟米

suk1 mai5

The English phrase "corn" is translated into Cantonese as 粟米 (suk1 mai5).

粟米 refers to a tall cereal plant that produces large ears of yellow kernels used for food.

What does it mean word for word?

The term is composed of the characters 粟 (grain/millet) and 米 (rice/grain).

While 粟米 is the standard term in Cantonese, 玉米 is the more common term used in Mandarin Chinese.

suk1 mai5

The character 粟 can also refer to 'small' or 'tiny' things in classical literary contexts, though in 粟米 it specifically denotes the grain.
Because 粟米 is the preferred term in Cantonese, a speaker from Hong Kong might find the Mandarin term 玉米 (meaning 'maize' or 'corn') sounds overly formal or like a textbook translation.
The word 粟米 is actually a linguistic oddity because 米 usually means 'rice', yet in this phrase, it is used to describe corn.

當佢哋講完呢啲嘢之後，佢哋倒咗佢哋嘅粟米，每個人都發現佢嘅錢綁喺佢個袋口。佢哋嘅父親雅各好驚訝，佢哋嘅父親雅各話：你令我冇仔女；約瑟唔喺度，西門被綁住，你要帶走便雅憫：所有呢啲惡事都落喺我身上。
When they had told this, they poured out their corn, and every man found his money tied in the mouth of his sack: and all being astonished together, their father Jacob said: You have made me to be without children: Joseph is not living, Simeon is kept in bonds, and Benjamin you will take away: all these evils are fallen upon me.
This example shows the use of 粟米 in a historical or narrative context involving sacks of grain.
Tatoeba #13497046 by Davidgo5867, translation #7888785 by carlosalberto
3 more sentences on Tatoeba

Siu Kin and Mai Ling are at a supermarket choosing vegetables.

子健 Tsz Kin

美玲，你想唔想買啲粟米？
mai ling, nei soeng m soeng maai di suk mai?
Mai Ling, do you want to buy some corn?
美玲 Mei Ling

好呀，我想買兩支粟米。
hou aa, ngo soeng maai loeng zi suk mai.
Yes, I want to buy two ears of corn.
子健 Tsz Kin

呢啲粟米睇落好新鮮。
ni di suk mai tai lok hou san sin.
This corn looks very fresh.
美玲 Mei Ling

係喎，快啲攞走佢啦。
hai wo, faai di lo zau keoi laa.
You're right, let's grab them quickly.

Sources

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