4595. Prawn in Cantonese

TWO CANTONESE SLANG for PRAWNS

In the West, being called a shrimp is usually an insult reserved for those who are small, weak or thin.

1.  The pronunciation of prawn (haa1 蝦) in Cantonese sounds just like haa1 (哈) as in “haha”.

On Sunday, 12 Feb 2023, a 74-year-old Cantonese woman phoned me and said in Cantonese: "I went to Toa Payoh hawker centre with friends to eaten haa1 蝦 noodles.

"Eating haa1 will prevent others from "haa1" me!". 

 

She works long hours in a Kopitiam as she wants to prevent dementia by working 5 days weekly instead of staying at home alone. In Kopitiam, she has to put up with bullies and supervisors. She had shown me a Rolex watch presented to her for long service in the early years when the boss just started the business.       

2.  The expression caau2 haa1 caak3 haai5 (炒蝦拆蟹, literally “fry prawn, de-shell crab) means to swear or use foul language.

 

Shrimp and prawns are completely different creatures. Yes, they're both decapods — which means they have external skeletons and 10 legs — but that's where the similarities end. Shrimp belong to the sub-order Pleocyemata, and prawns belong to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baan6 saai3 haai5 (扮哂蟹) is used to describe someone who is “acting like a crab” – in other words, bragging about their achievements.

Caau2 jau4 jyu4 (炒魷魚) literally means stir-fried squid but actually refers to someone who is being fired.