鱼腩

魚腩
yúnǎn
noun

Measure Word

鱼腩 kuài

Meanings

  1. 1 soft fish belly (delicacy)
  2. 2 (figurative, sports) weak team; pushover; minnow

Examples

HSK 7-9
Guǎngdōng rén zuì ài chī yúnǎn, ròu nèn yòu féi.
Cantonese love eating fish belly - the meat is tender and rich.
HSK 7-9
Zhè chǎng bǐsài duìshǒu shì yúnǎn qiúduì, wǒmen bùnéng qīngdí.
Our opponent in this match is a pushover team, but we can't take them lightly.

Tips

usage
Cantonese-origin word that entered Mandarin sports commentary. The figurative sense ('weak team') comes from the idea that fish belly is soft and easily pierced - 鱼腩球队 (yúnǎn qiúduì) is now standard in football and basketball coverage.
memory
(nǎn) = soft belly meat, also seen in 牛腩 (niúnǎn, beef brisket). So 鱼腩 = 'fish brisket' - soft, fatty, easy to bite through.

Stroke Order

nǎn