樖

Classifier for Trees and Plants

Level 2Sounds Like po1

樖 (po1) is the Cantonese classifier for whole plants, including trees (樖樹 po1 syu6), bushes, flowers, and complete heads of vegetables (樖菜 po1 coi3).

How It Works

In Cantonese, 樖 (Jyutping: po1) functions as the classifier specifically for whole plants, trees, shrubs, and complete heads or stalks of vegetables.

1. Basic Usage Patterns:
• Numeral + 樖 + Noun: 兩樖樹 (loeng5 po1 syu6 - 'two trees')
• Demonstrative + 樖 + Noun: 呢樖菜 (ni1 po1 coi3 - 'this head of vegetable'), 嗰樖花 (go2 po1 faa1 - 'that flower bush')
• Bare Classifier + Noun: 樖樹 (po1 syu6 - 'the tree / a tree')

2. Reduplication and Descriptive Compounds:
• Reduplication (樖樖): 樖樖樹都咁高 (po1 po1 syu6 dou1 gam3 gou1 - 'every single tree is this tall')
• Descriptive Usage: 生得大樖 (saang1 dak1 daai6 po1 - 'grows big and bushy'). Note that 樖 is normally used for plants, not as a counter for people or animals.

3. Distinctions from Other Classifiers:
• 樖 (po1) vs 支 (zi1): Use 樖 for complete plants, bushes, or whole heads of vegetables. Use 支 for single cut flowers or detached stems.
• 樖 (po1) vs 條 (tiu4): Use 條 for long, slender flora like individual blades of grass (一條草) or vines.

4. Character Variants & Written Register:
While 樖 is the character uniquely associated with Cantonese po1, 棵 is also widely written and accepted as a common character variant for po1 in Cantonese writing alongside 樖.

Examples (4)

  1. 呢樖樹咁粗壯，睇嚟應該有成百歲。

    This tree is so thick and sturdy; it looks like it must be nearly a hundred years old.

    Word by Word: this [CL] tree so thick sturdy, look come should have whole hundred year

    Uses 呢樖 (ni1 po1) with 樹 (syu6) to refer specifically to 'this tree'.

  2. 家陣買樖菜都要十幾蚊，貴到飛起。

    Nowadays buying even one head of vegetable costs over ten dollars; it's absurdly expensive.

    Word by Word: nowadays buy [CL] vegetable also need ten-odd dollars, expensive to fly up

    Demonstrates bare classifier 樖 (po1) before 菜 (coi3) meaning 'a head of vegetable'.

  3. 你做乜戴咁多首飾，搞到自己成樖聖誕樹咁？

    Why are you wearing so much jewelry? You've made yourself look like a whole Christmas tree!

    Word by Word: you do what wear so many jewelry, make to self whole [CL] Christmas tree like

    Shows 成樖...咁 (seng4 po1 ... gam2), a common expressive idiom meaning 'like a whole tree'.

  4. 公園入面樖樖樹都開滿咗花。

    Every single tree in the park is covered in blossoms.

    Word by Word: park inside [CL]-[CL] tree all open full [PERF] flower

    Shows reduplicated 樖樖 (po1 po1) to express 'every single tree'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 樖 (po1) for cut flowers or stemless flowers instead of 枝 (zi1)

    花店入面個男仔買咗一樖玫瑰花送畀女朋友。
    花店入面個男仔買咗一枝玫瑰花送畀女朋友。

    樖 (po1) is for intact, rooted plants or plant bushes. For single cut flowers or stems detached from soil, use 枝 (zi1).

  • Using 棵 (fo2) where everyday speech often uses 樖 (po1).

    Different Meaning呢棵樹好高 (ni1 fo2 syu6 hou2 gou1)
    呢樖樹好高 (ni1 po1 syu6 hou2 gou1)

    呢棵樹好高 is fine: 棵 (fo2) is a standard classifier for trees and is widely used. In colloquial speech 樖 (po1) is also common for trees and plants, as in 呢樖樹好高.

How It Connects

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樖Level 2Classifier for Trees and Plants

Learn This First

To use the classifier 樖 (po1), you first need to understand how classifiers function in Cantonese noun phrases and the basic 'Number + Classifier + Noun' structure. Since 樖 is a character specific to Cantonese writing, familiarity with written Cantonese conventions is also helpful.