Are you planning on studying or teaching in Hong Kong? Do you know the most common classroom phrases in Cantonese for students or teachers alike? Whether you’re about to join a university as a foreign student or to teach your native language as a teacher, you will have to learn how to communicate in the classroom.

If you’re a student, not only will you need to learn how to address your teachers, but also to understand their instructions. And vice versa if you’re in the teacher’s shoes! You will also need to learn some basic vocabulary, such as school subjects, supplies, and infrastructure.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know as a teacher or a student, from common phrases to vocabulary, instructions, and a list of school subjects. It will teach you how to ask questions or give instructions to save you from struggling with common classroom interactions. Get your pencil case ready, and let’s jump straight into it!

Table of Contents

1. Classroom Greetings
2. Teacher’s Phrases
3. Student’s Phrases
4. Subjects’ List
5. Bonus: Borrowing School Supplies
6. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

1. Classroom Greetings

When you first meet your fellow students or teachers, the first set of phrases you will find useful are probably basic greetings and self-introductions. Until you get more experienced, your conversations might not get much further than simple salutations.

1- 早晨。 

Romanization: zou2 san4.
Literal Translation: Early morning.
Meaning: Good morning.

2- 午安 。 

Romanization: ng5 on1.
Literal Translation: Noon safe.
Meaning: Good afternoon.

3- 你好。

Romanization: nei5 hou2.
Literal Translation: You good.
Meaning: Hello.

4- 拜拜。

Romanization: baai1 baai3.
Literal Translation: Bye bye.
Meaning: Goodbye.

5- 遲啲見。 

Romanization: ci4 di1 gin3.
Literal Translation: Later see.
Meaning: See you later.

6- 聽日見。

Romanization: ting1 jat6 gin3.
Literal Translation: Tomorrow see.
Meaning: See you tomorrow.

7- 早唞 。

Romanization: zou2 tau2.
Literal Translation: Early rest.
Meaning: Good night.

➜ Once you feel comfortable greeting others and asking simple questions, you might want to step up your game and go further with the introductions. Why not have a look at our complete guides on how to say hello and how to introduce yourself?

2. Teacher’s Phrases

Whether you’re a student or a teacher, this section is for you! As a teacher, you need to know how to address your class, and as a student, you’d better understand what the teacher is saying. Let’s see some of the most common Cantonese teacher’s phrases.

1- 請回答我。 

Romanization: cing2 wui4 daap3 ngo5.
Literal Translation: Please answer me.
Meaning: Please answer me.

2- 唔該望住你嘅課本。

Romanization: m4 goi1 mong6 zyu6 nei5 ge3 fo3 bun2.
Literal Translation: Please look at your textbook.
Meaning: Please look at your textbook.

3- 請反覆聆聽。

Romanization: cing2 faan2 fuk1 ling4 ting3.
Literal Translation: Please repeat listen.
Meaning: Please listen to it repeatedly.

4- 如果你有任何問題，請發問。

Romanization: jyu4 gwo2 nei5 jau5 jam6 ho4 man6 tai4, cing2 faat3 man6.
Literal Translation: If you have any questions, please ask.
Meaning: If you have any questions, please ask.

5- 請閱讀。

Romanization: cing2 jyut6 duk6.
Literal Translation: Please read.
Meaning: Please read it.

6- 請保持安靜。

Romanization: cing2 bou2 ci4 on1 zing6.
Literal Translation: Please keep quiet.
Meaning: Please keep quiet.

7- 請打開你本書嘅第十頁。

Romanization: cing2 daa2 hoi1 nei5 bun2 syu1 ge3 dai6 sap6 jip6.
Literal Translation: Please open your book’s page 10.
Meaning: Please open your book on page 10.

8- 請寫低。

Romanization: cing2 se2 dai1.
Literal Translation: Please write down.
Meaning: Please write it down.

9- 你有冇任何問題？

Romanization: nei5 jau5 mou5 jam6 ho4 man6 tai4?
Literal Translation: You have not have questions?

10- 你做晒功課未？

Romanization: nei5 zou6 saai3 gung1 fo3 mei6?
Literal Translation: You finished homework yet?
Meaning: Did you finish your homework?”

➜ Are you pursuing or planning to pursue tertiary education in Hong Kong? Check out our Cantonese vocabulary builder to learn essential words for talking about college and university.

3. Student’s Phrases

We’re spending so much time in the classes that we’re bound to face some troubles. It is not much of a problem to have an unforeseen event or an accident as long as you know how to explain it. In case you have encountered questions or things you don’t understand, all you will need to do is ask the right questions.

1- 我聽唔明。 

Romanization: ngo5 teng1 m4 ming4.
Literal Translation: I listen not understood.
Meaning: I don’t understand.

2- 唔該講多次。

Romanization: m4 goi1 gong2 do1 ci3.
Literal Translation: Please speak one more time.
Meaning: Please repeat that.

3- 你可唔可以講慢啲？

Romanization: nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 gong2 maan6 di1?
Literal Translation: You can not can speaker slower?
Meaning: Can you speak a little slower?

4-唔該幫我寫低。

Romanization: m4 goi1 bong1 ngo5 se2 dai1.
Literal Translation: Please help me write down.
Meaning: Please write it down for me.

5- 唔該, 嚟多一次。

Romanization: m4 goi1, lei4 do1 jat1 ci3.
Literal Translation: Please, do one more time.
Meaning: Once again, please.

6- …廣東話點講？

Romanization:  …gwong2 dung1 waa2 dim2 gong2?
Literal Translation: …Cantonese how say?
Meaning: How do you say…in Cantonese?

Example 1-

Chinese Characters: 呢個廣東話點講？
Romanization: ni1 go3 gwong2 dung1 waa2 dim2 gong2?
Literal Translation: This Cantonese how say?
Meaning: How do you say this in Cantonese?

Example 2-

Chinese Characters: “Seafood”廣東話點講？
Romanization: “Seafood” gwong2 dung1 waa2 dim2 gong2?
Literal Translation: “Seafood” Cantonese how say?
Meaning: How do you say “seafood” in Cantonese?

7- 請問…

Romanization:  cing2 man6…
Literal Translation: Please ask…
Meaning: May I ask…

Example 1-

Chinese Characters: 請問課室喺幾樓？
Romanization: cing2 man6 fo3 sat1 hai2 gei2 lau2?
Literal Translation: Please ask classroom on which floor?
Meaning: May I ask on which floor is the classroom?

Example 2-

Chinese Characters: 請問嗰個廣東話點講？
Romanization: cing2 man6 go2 go3 gwong2 dung1 waa2 dim2 gong2?
Literal Translation: Please ask that Cantonese how say?
Meaning: May I ask how do you say that in Cantonese?

8- 我可唔可以extend個deadline？

Romanization: ngo5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 extend go3 deadline?
Literal Translation: I can not can extend deadline?
Meaning: Could I get an extension on the deadline?

9- 我唔係好舒服, 我可唔可以請日假？

Romanization: ngo5 m4 hai6 hou2 syu1 fuk6, ngo5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 jat6 gaa3?
Literal Translation: I am not very comfortable, I can not can apply day off?
Meaning: I don’t feel well. Can I be excused for the day?

10- 有人偷咗我本書。

Romanization: jau5 jan4 tau1 zo2 ngo5 bun2 syu1.
Literal Translation: Someone stole my book.
Meaning: Someone stole my books.

11- 我遲到因為等唔到巴士。

Romanization: ngo5 ci4 dou3 jan1 wai6 dang2 m4 dou2 baa1 si2.
Literal Translation: I late because wait can’t arrive bus.
Meaning: I am late because the bus did not show up.

12- 我隻狗食咗我啲功課。

Romanization: ngo5 zek3 gau2 sik6 zo2 ngo5 di1 gung1 fo3.
Literal Translation: My dog ate my homework.
Meaning: My dog ate my homework.

4. Subjects’ List

You probably already know how to talk about what you’re studying or teaching, but whenever you’re chatting with your fellow students or teachers, a variety of other subject matters may come up.

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	數學	sou3 hok6	Mathematics
2	化學	faa3 hok6	Chemistry
3	生物學	sang1 mat6 hok6	Biology
4	地理	dei6 lei5	Geography
5	體育	tai2 juk6	Physical Education
6	歷史	lik6 si2	History
7	美術	mei5 seot6	Art
8	音樂	jam1 ngok6	Music

Here are how you can enquire other’s or express your own favorite subject:

Question- 你最喜愛嘅科目係乜？

Romanization: nei5 zeoi3 hei2 oi3 ge3 fo1 muk6 hai6 mat1?
Literal Translation: You favorite subject is what?
Meaning: What is your favorite subject?

Answer- 我最喜愛嘅科目係…。

Romanization: ngo5 zeoi3 hei2 oi3 ge3 fo1 muk6 hai6 …
Literal Translation: My favorite subject is…
Meaning: My favorite subject is…

➜ To practice your pronunciation, be sure to stop by our free vocabulary list on School Subjects, with recorded words and example phrases, on CantoneseClass101.

5. Bonus: Borrowing School Supplies

Have you ever forgotten to bring your pencil case with you? No worries, this section will introduce you to some basic school supplies vocabulary, as well as how to borrow one from others.

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	鉛筆	jyun4 bat1	pencil
2	原子筆	jyun4 zi2 bat1	pen
3	擦膠	caat3 gaau1	eraser
4	紙	zi2	paper
5	書本	syu1 bun2	book
6	作業	zok3 jip6	homework
7	課本	fo3 bun2	textbook
8	字典	zi6 din2	dictionary

You can ask someone to lend you a pen by asking…

Chinese Characters: 唔該借你嘅原子筆畀我。
Romanization: m4 goi1 ze3 nei5 ge3 jyun4 zi2 bat1 bei2 ngo5.
Literal Translation: Please lend your pen to me.
Meaning: Please lend me your pen.

6. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

After mastering Cantonese phrases to navigate schools, do you want to put more Cantonese phrases for other occasions into your pocket? With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.

Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community where you can discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!

And keep in mind that if you prefer a 1-on-1 learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!

Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!

Hong Kong is a food paradise! Not only does it have the highest density of restaurants in the world, but there is also a great variety of local dishes and mouth-watering delicacies worth trying. On top of the famous dim sum, there are other Cantonese foods, such as egg tarts and fish balls, that are too good to be missed.

There’s a saying in Cantonese that reveals how much we care about food:

• 民以食為天 (man4 ji5 sik6 wai4 tin1) – “Food is god to people.” 

Indeed, food is one of the most important aspects of life: it brings you energy and joy, and you need it every single day. To ensure that you won’t miss out on the great food in Hong Kong, we have compiled a list of Cantonese phrases for you to navigate through the local restaurants!

Table of Contents

1. Before Dining
2. During Dining
3. After Dining
4. Bonus: Dining etiquette in Hong Kong
5. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

1. Before Dining

There are lots of varieties of restaurants in Hong Kong – some require advanced bookings, and some do not. Most local inexpensive restaurants do not require advanced bookings, and you can just walk in. On the contrary, most fine dining restaurants require making reservations in advance, and sometimes you have to wait for months before you can secure a table. I strongly recommend the app OpenRice if you need to look up information about restaurants in Hong Kong. This powerful app allows you to search restaurants based on location and types of cuisines. You can view customers’ feedback as well as reserve a table through the app.

A- Reserving a table: conversation

Customer-
Chinese Character: 唔該, 我想訂枱。
Romanization: m4 goi1, ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2.
Meaning: Excuse me, I want to book a table.

Restaurant staff-
Chinese Character: 幾點？
Romanization: gei2 dim2?
Meaning: What time?

Customer-
Chinese Character: 八點, 唔該。
Romanization: baat3 dim2, m4 goi1.
Meaning: Eight o’clock, thank you.
Note: To say a time, state the hour followed by “點” (dim2), which means “o’clock.”

Restaurant staff-
Chinese Character: 幾多位？
Romanization: gei2 do1 wai2?
Meaning: Eight o’clock, thank you.

Customer-
Chinese Character: 四位。
Romanization: sei3 wai2.
Meaning: Four people.
Note: To respond to the above question, you can state the total number followed by the measure word for “people”, which is “位” (wai2). There is another measure word for people that is “個” (go3), but “位” (wai2) is more polite.

Cantonese number from 1 to 10 for people and time:

• 0: 零 (ling4)
• 1: 一 (jat1)
• 2: 兩 (loeng5)**
• 3: 三 (saam1)
• 4: 四 (sei3)
• 5: 五 (ng5)
• 6: 六 (luk6)
• 7: 七 (cat1)
• 8: 八 (baat3)
• 9: 九 (gau2)
• 10: 十 (sap6)

** There are two ways to express “2” in Cantonese, “兩”(loeng5) should be used in describing people and time.

B- Other relevant phrases

Chinese Character: 唔該, 我想訂枱,八點,四位。
Romanization: m4 goi1, ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2, baat3 dim2, sei3 wai2.
Meaning: Excuse me, I want to book a table at eight o’clock for four people.

Chinese Character:  唔該, 有冇位呀？
Romanization: m4 goi1, jau5 mou5 wai2 aa3?
Meaning: Do you have a table?

Chinese Character:  要等幾耐?
Romanization: jiu3 dang2 gei2 noi6?
Meaning: How long do we have to wait?

➜ To learn more about Cantonese numbers, visit our blog that covers Cantonese Numbers from 1-100 and Beyond!

2. During Dining

Here’re some useful phrases inside a restaurant in case you need help communicating with waiters and waitresses.

A- Asking for menu and recommendations

Chinese Character:  唔該俾張餐牌我睇。
Romanization: m4 goi1 bei2 zoeng1 caan1 paai4 ngo5 tai2.
Meaning: Please, can I have the menu?

Chinese Character:  你有乜嘢推介？
Romanization: nei5 jau5 mat1 je5 teoi1 gaai3?
Meaning: What do you recommend?

Chinese Character:  呢度有乜嘢食出名呀？
Romanization: ni1 dou6 jau5 mat1 je5 sik6 ceot1 ming2 aa3?
Meaning: What’s your house specialty?

Chinese Character:  呢碟餸叫咩名？
Romanization: ne1 dip6 sung3 giu3 me1 meng2?
Meaning: What’s the name of this dish?

B- Ordering drinks: conversation

Waiter/Waitress-
Chinese Character:  想飲啲咩呀？
Romanization: soeng2 jam2 di1 me1 aa3?
Meaning: What do you want for drinks?

Customer-
Chinese Character:  我想飲咖啡。
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 jam2 gaa3 fe1.
Meaning: I would like a coffee.
Note: You can replace “咖啡” (meaning: coffee; romanization: gaa3 fe1) with the beverages you desire.

C- Ordering food

Chinese Character:  今日嘅湯係咩？
Romanization: gam1 jat6 ge3 tong1 hai6 me1?
Meaning: What is the soup of the day?

Chinese Character:  你哋有冇糯米雞？
Romanization: nei5 dei2 jau5 mou5 lo6 mai5 gai1?
Meaning: Do you have any steamed glutinous rice with chicken?
Note: You may replace “糯米雞” (lo6 mai5 gai1) with the name of whatever food you want to inquire about.

Chinese Character:  我想要多士。
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 jiu3 do1 si2.
Meaning: I want a toast.
Note: You may replace “多士” (do1 si2) with the name of whatever food you want.

Examples of food that you can replace “糯米雞” (lo6 mai5 gai1) and “多士” (do1 si2) with include:

• Pineapple bun: 菠蘿包 (bo1 lo4 baau1)
• Green onion pancake: 蔥油餅 (cung1 jau4 beng2)
• Soup dumpling: 小籠包 (siu2 lung4 baau1)
• Sweet and sour pork: 咕嚕肉 (gu1 lou1 juk6)

➜ To learn more vocabulary about Hong Kong food, check out our lists on Hong Kong food and restaurant vocabulary!

Chinese Character:  我食素。
Romanization: ngo5 sik6 sou3.
Meaning: I’m a vegetarian.

Chinese Character:  我對堅果敏感。
Romanization: ngo5 deoi3 gin1 gwo2 man5 gam2.
Meaning: I am allergic to nuts.

Chinese Character:  唔該，我可唔可以要多份？
Romanization: m4 goi1, ngo5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 jiu3 do1 fan6?
Meaning: Can I get one more serving, please?

Chinese Character:  你哋有冇甜品？
Romanization: nei5 dei2 jau5 mou5 tim4 ban2?
Meaning: Do you have any desserts?

D- Other relevant phrases

Chinese Character:  洗手間喺邊呀？
Romanization: sai2 sau2 gaan1 hai2 bin1 aa3?
Meaning: Where’s the washroom?

Chinese Character:  唔該, 呢度可唔可以食煙？
Romanization: m4 goi1 ni1 dou6 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 sik6 jin1?
Meaning: Excuse me, is smoking allowed here?
Note: There are two replies to this question on whether or not you can smoke. The affirmative answer is “可以” (ho2 ji5). The negative answer is “唔可以” (m4 ho2 ji5).

3. After Dining

Check out the below phrases to end your meal happily and elegantly with Cantonese.

A- Check please: conversation

Customer-
Chinese Character:  唔該埋單。
Romanization: m4 goi1 maai4 daan1.
Meaning: Check, please.

Waiter/Waitress-
Chinese Character:  現金定碌咭呀？
Romanization: jin6 gam1 ding6 luk1 kaat1 aa3?
Meaning: Cash or card?

Customer-
Chinese Character:  現金。
Romanization: jin6 gam1.
Meaning: Cash.

B- Other relevant phrases

Chinese Character:  收唔收信用卡？
Romanization: sau1 m4 sau1 seon3 jung6 kaat1?
Meaning: Do you take credit cards?

Chinese Character:  去邊度埋單呀？
Romanization: heoi3 bin1 dou6 maai4 daan1 aa3?
Meaning: Where can I pay the bill?

Chinese Character:  找錯錢呀！
Romanization: zaau2 co3 cin2 aa3!
Meaning: The change is wrong!

Chinese Character:  唔駛找喇！
Romanization: m4 sai2 zaau2 laa3!
Meaning: Keep the change.

4. Bonus: Dining etiquette in Hong Kong

If you’re going to dine at a traditional Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong, tables will typically be large and round to accommodate a group of friends or family. Most dishes are shared instead of à la carte, and they’re placed in the center of the table where everyone gets to take a portion of the dishes.

A- General Food Manners & Restaurant Etiquette in Hong Kong

• DON’T put your hand below or above someone else’s hand while taking the food from a serving plate. 
  DO wait until the other person finishes grabbing his or her food before you start taking yours.

• DON’T take food from the serving plates and put it into your mouth directly. 
  DO put it into your bowl first before you eat.

• If you like only a part of the dish, DON’T look for your favorite part on the serving plate. 
  DO this only while it’s in your bowl.

• DO leave bits of food on your plate to show that you were satisfied. 
  DON’T leave your plate empty because the host may think you didn’t have enough food.

• DON’T spin your table counterclockwise; always spin it clockwise. 

B- Chopsticks

• DON’T point at someone or something with your chopsticks.

• DON’T use your own chopsticks to grab food from the serving plate. 
  DO use “public chopsticks” (chopsticks that are placed at the center of the table for grabbing the food).

• DO place your chopsticks on the rest provided if you’re not using them. 

• DON’T shake your chopsticks if they’re wet from soup.

• DON’T place your chopsticks across each other.

• DON’T put your chopsticks in your rice bowl in an upright position; this is only done at funerals.

C- Tea

• DO open the lid of the teapot or place the lid upside-down if you would like to request more tea.

• DO tap your fingers several times by your cup to thank a person for pouring tea for you.

• DON’T take the first sip; wait for the senior host to do so first.

5. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

After mastering Cantonese phrases to navigate Hong Kong restaurants, do you want to put more Cantonese phrases for other occasions into your pocket? With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.

Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community where you can discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!

And keep in mind that if you prefer a 1-on-1 learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!

Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!

Have you ever started a conversation only to blurt out a bunch of inarticulate words? Or have you asked a question, but when the other person answered, you couldn’t make anything out of it?

This guide will teach you how to improve your Cantonese conversation skills, not just general Cantonese-speaking skills but specifically how to deal with Cantonese conversations: It all starts with making your own unique conversation “language profile cheat sheet”, then identifying the words and sentences YOU need the most.

The Art of conversation is one you can’t learn from academic teaching and books. You need to learn about specific ‘oral’ tricks such as filler words, reaction phrases, or conversation starters. 

Once you’ve got it all lined up, there will be nothing stopping you from making new friends and starting conversations with fellow students, coworkers, or random strangers in Cantonese.

Make new friends by polishing your Cantonese conversation skills!

Table of Contents

1. Make Your Own Language Profile
2. Learn Cantonese Reactions and Replies
3. Learn Cantonese Filler Words
4. Learn Common Cantonese Questions and Answers
5. Learn Cantonese Conversation Starters
6. Bonus: How to Improve Conversation Skills
7. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

1. Make Your Own Language Profile

1- What’s a language profile?

A language profile is your cheat sheet with all of the relevant phrases you need, based on who you are and what you’re interested in.

There is no one-size-fits-all ready-made cheat sheet that you’d find online, and you certainly won’t find one in this article. We’re talking about something personal that you will assemble based on your background, age, lifestyle, and interests.

2- Why would I need one?

We all introduce ourselves and talk about ourselves when meeting new people. There is a reason why writing a self-introduction is typically one of the first things you should do when you start learning a new language. 

But it doesn’t stop there! Being able to answer questions about your story, hobbies, and what motivates you to learn the language will go a long way in building relationships. 

Not only will it make the conversation smoother if you’re already prepared and know the vocabulary that’s relevant to what you have to say, but it will also make you more confident when meeting people: confident in your ability to answer personal questions.

3- How do I make one?

Every conversation cheat sheet is unique. If you’re 40 years old, with family and kids, working toward buying your house, and a lover of electronic music, your conversation cheat will be very different from a 20 years old photography student who loves traveling and watching horror movies.

You can start with writing your own self-introduction, then quickly write about your hobbies and interests. Here’s an example of what it could look like:

你好，我個名係米高。我二十七歲，嚟自香港。我係老師。我其中一個嗜好係睇書。

nei5 hou2, ngo5 go3 meng2 hai6 mai5 gou1. ngo5 ji6 sap6 cat1 seoi3, lei4 zi6 hoeng1 gong2. ngo5 hai6 lou5 si1. ngo5 kei4 zung1 jat1 go3 si3 hou3 hai6 tai2 syu1.

“Hello, my name is Michael. I’m 27 years old and I’m from Hong Kong. I’m a teacher. One of my hobbies is reading.

➜ If you’re a beginner, the best place to start is undeniably our blog article on How to Introduce Yourself in Cantonese.

Then, you can elaborate on individual parts and imagine how you would answer specific questions by gathering phrases and words specifically tailored to your needs:

我喺香港住咗兩年。  Romanization: ngo5 hai2 hoeng1 gong2 zyu6 zo2 loeng5 nin4. Meaning: “I’ve been living in Hong Kong for 2 years.” 我鍾意食牛肉。 Romanization: ngo5 zung1 ji3 sik6 ngau4 juk6. Meaning: “I like eating beef.” 我學咗廣東話十年。  Romanization: ngo5 hok6 zo2 gwong2 dung1 waa2 sap6 nin4. Meaning: “I’ve been learning Cantonese for 10 years.”

4- Getting off to a good start

If you’re a beginner, this might look like a daunting task, but it’s not! There are plenty of resources you can use, depending on your level:

1. Online translators are still carrying a bad reputation, but nowadays, they’re truly doing wonders. They can occasionally struggle with slang and idiomatic expressions, but for your first draft, they’ll do just fine. Google translate is the most popular option, but I’d personally recommend DeepL.


2. Other online tools such as Reverso context can help you with idioms and expressions. They’re really not flawless but still a nice resource to tap into.
   


3. CantoneseClass101 has tons of free content, blog articles, and vocabulary lists you can use. The lists are especially useful if you’re looking for a specific topic, as they’ll provide sentences and vocabulary that suit your specific needs. For example, if you want to know more about Hong Kong food, you can check this one out.
   


4. A personal teacher is the ultimate weapon for learning fast and hard. Your teacher can guide you through the process of writing your conversation cheat sheet and fix any tiny mistakes. Be sure to check our private coaching service from our Premium PLUS offer.

2. Learn Cantonese Reactions and Replies

In this section, we’ll learn how you can react to a statement and express enthusiasm, annoyance, curiosity, or disbelief.

On your road to fluency, being able to express interesting and nuanced reactions rather than just saying yes or no is a great step that will add a lot of flavor to your conversations.

What?

Here are 8 common lower intermediate reaction phrases you can use for everyday conversations:

• When someone wrongly accuses you of stealing his/her phone, you can say…

1- 你錯喇！

Romanization: nei5 co3 laa3!
Meaning: You’re wrong!
Literal translation: You wrong!

• When someone does not believe his/her best friend is dating, you can say…

2- 係真㗎！ 

Romanization: hai6 zan1 gaa3!
Meaning: That’s true!
Literal translation: Is true!

• When someone enquires if your best friend is out of town that you haven’t heard of, you can say…

3- 我諗唔係。

Romanization: ngo5 lam2 m4 hai6.
Meaning: I don’t think so.
Literal translation: I think no.

• When you are leaving a house party, you can say…

4- 今晚好開心。 

Romanization: gam1 maan5 hou2 hoi1 sam1.
Meaning: That was a great evening.
Literal translation: Tonight very happy.

• When someone asks if your aloof roommate is heartbroken, you can say…

5- 我都唔肯定。 

Romanization: ngo5 dou1 m4 hang2 ding6.
Meaning: Well, I’m not sure.
Literal translation: I too not sure.

• When someone praises a man you are highly approved of, you can say…

6- 係呀，你講得啱

Romanization: hai6 aa3, nei5 gong2 dak1 aam1.
Meaning: Yes, you’re right.
Literal translation: Yes, you speak right.

• After an “all-you-can-eat” dinner at your favourite restaurant, you can say…

7- 好爽!

Romanization: hou2 song2!
Meaning: That’s great!
Literal translation: very cool!

• After watching a captivating movie, you can say…

8- 正!

Romanization: zeng3!
Meaning: Awesome!
Literal translation: straight!

➜ Want to stay positive? Learn The Top 20 Words For Positive Emotions with CantoneseClass101’s positive emotion list!

3. Learn Cantonese Filler Words

Um… Hmm… Well…

Have you ever heard or used these words in a conversation? In linguistics, they’re called “filler words.” While they may seem meaningless, and while many associate them with uncertainty and nervousness, filler words can actually be useful. For example, they can help your speech sound more genuine and diplomatic and even help you jump into a conversation.

1 – 即係 (zik1 hai6)

Function / Indication: “like” [used to add emphasis]

Example Dialogue

Person A:

• Chinese: 唔知點解會搞成咁。
• Romanization: m4 zi1 dim2 gaai2 wui5 gaau2 seng4 gam2.
• Meaning: I don’t know why it will end this way.

Person B:

• Chinese: 衰咗咪認囉，即係你又唔係第一次。
• Romanization: seoi1 zo2 mai6 jing6 lo1, zik1 hai6 nei5 jau6 m4 hai6 dai6 jat1 ci3.
• Meaning: You should just admit it if you’ve made a fool of yourself, like it’s not the first time.

2 – 誒 (e6)

Function / Indication: “oh” [indicates hesitation]

Example Dialogue

Person A:

• Chinese: 邊個食咗我啲朱古力？
• Romanization: bin1 go3 sik6 zo2 ngo5 di1 zyu1 gu1 lik1?
• Meaning: Who ate my chocolate?

Person B:

• Chinese: 誒，係我呀。
• Romanization: e6, hai6 ngo5 aa3.
• Meaning: Oh… it was me.

3 – 咁 (gam2)

Function / Indication: “if that’s the case,” “then” [indicates that you understood the other party; use it before replying or making suggestions based on what they’ve just said]

Example Dialogue

Person A:

• Chinese: 我唔想食牛肉麵。
• Romanization: ngo5 m4 soeng2 sik6 ngau4 juk6 min6.
• Meaning: I don’t want beef noodles.

Person B:

• Chinese: 咁一係我哋食雲吞？
• Romanization: gam2 jat1 hai6 ngo5 dei6 sik6 wan4 tan1?
• Meaning: Then how about wonton?

4 – 咁呀 (gam2 aa4)

Function / Indication: indicates you’re thinking (the “aa4” sound is usually prolonged)

Example Dialogue

Person A:

• Chinese: 我唔想食燒鵝。
• Romanization: ngo5 m4 soeng2 sik6 siu1 ngo2.
• Meaning: I don’t want to get roast goose.

Person B:

• Chinese: 咁呀，不如我哋食日本菜？
• Romanization: gam2 aa4, bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 sik6 jat6 bun2 coi3?
• Meaning: Well…how about Japanese (cuisine) then?

5 – 其實呢 (kei4 sat6 ne1)

Function / Indication: “well”

Example Dialogue

Person A:

• Chinese: 我使唔使再減肥？
• Romanization: ngo5 sai2 m4 sai2 zoi3 gaam2 fei4?
• Meaning: Do you think I need to lose more weight?

Person B:

• Chinese: 其實呢唔使太誇張，唔係暴飲暴食我覺得無問題。
• Romanization: kei4 sat6 ne1 m4 sai2 taai3 kwaa1 zoeng1, m4 hai6 bou6 jam2 bou6 sik6 ngo5 gok3 dak1 mou5 man6 tai4.
• Meaning: Well, don’t exaggerate. I think you will be fine as long as you don’t eat like a horse.

➜ To learn more Cantonese filler words, check out CantoneseClass101’s Guide to Cantonese Filler Words!

4. Learn Common Cantonese Questions and Answers

Just imagine: You’re going out with a group of native Cantonese speakers. This is the perfect opportunity to make friends and practice your Cantonese in a real-life situation! But how do you break the ice? What should you say if you run out of topics or if your Cantonese isn’t solid enough to fuel the conversation?

The universal answer is: ask questions!

1. What’s your name?

Q: 你叫咩名?

“What’s your name?” has to be the most common conversation starter of all. Make sure you keep it in your pocket list!

Romanization: nei5 giu3 me1 meng2

Breakdown:

Character	Romanization	Meaning
你	nei5	You
叫	giu3	Call
咩	me1	What
名	meng2	Name

A: 我叫。

The answer to this question is pretty straightforward. You either state your name directly or add the words 我叫before your name and make it “我叫.”

Romanization: ngo5 giu3 .

Breakdown:

Character	Romanization	Meaning
我	ngo5	I
叫	giu3	Call

See some examples of how to answer this question in Cantonese below!

Example 1
Chinese Characters: 我叫欣怡。
Meaning: My name is Yan-yee.
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 jan1 ji4

Example 2
Chinese Characters: 我叫俊傑。
Meaning: My name is Chun-kit.
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 zeon3 git6

Example 3
Chinese Characters: 我叫詠珊。
Meaning: My name is Wing-shan.
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 wing6 saan1

Example 4
Chinese Characters: 我叫偉文。
Meaning: My name is Wai-man.
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 wai5 man4

2. Where are you from?

Q: 你邊度嚟㗎？

This Cantonese question opens up a lot of possible conversation topics, such as cultural differences and must-see places, for you and your new Cantonese friends!

Romanization: nei5 bin1 dou6 lei4 gaa3

Breakdown:

Character	Romanization	Meaning
你	nei5	You
邊度	bin1 dou6	Where
嚟	lei4	Come
㗎	gaa3	a Cantonese question particle that indicates a question or doubt

A: 我嚟嘅。

There are two ways you can answer this question. The first is by answering directly with your city or country: 

• 香港 (hoeng1 gong2) – “Hong Kong”

You may also add the word 我 before “Hong Kong” and 嚟嘅 after it: 我香港嚟嘅.

Romanization: ngo5 lei4 ge3

Breakdown:

Character	Romanization	Meaning
我	ngo5	I
嚟	lei4	To come
嘅	ge3	a final particle that implies assertion with emphasis

Here are some examples:

Example 1
Chinese Characters: 我美國嚟嘅。
Meaning: I’m from the U.S.
Romanization: ngo5 mei5 gwok3 lei4 ge3

Example 2
Chinese Characters: 我英國嚟嘅。
Meaning: I’m from England.
Romanization: ngo5 jing1 gwok3 lei4 ge3

Example 3
Chinese Characters: 我中國嚟嘅。
Meaning: I’m from China.
Romanization: ngo5 zung1 gwok3 lei4 ge3

Example 4
Chinese Characters: 我德國嚟嘅。
Meaning: I’m from Germany.
Romanization: ngo5 dak1 gwok3 lei4 ge3

➜ For a list of more countries, check out CantoneseClass101’s relevant vocabulary list!

3. Do you speak Cantonese?

Q: 你識唔識講？

This is one of those basic Cantonese questions that you may be asked when you meet new friends in Hong Kong!

Romanization: nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 gong2

Breakdown:

Character	Romanization	Meaning
你	nei5	You
識唔識	sik1 m4 sik1	To know or not
講	gong2	Speak

Here’s an example:

Chinese Characters: 你識唔識講廣東話?
Meaning: Do you speak Cantonese?
Romanization: nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 gong2 gwong2 dung1 waa2

A: Varies

Depending on how well you know the language, you can answer with one of the below phrases!

Answer	Romanization	Meaning
識少少。	sik1 siu2 siu2	Yes, I speak a little.
識一啲。	sik1 jat1 di1	Yes, I speak some.
識啲啲。	sik1 di1 di1	Yes, I speak a little bit.
識好多。	sik1 hou2 do1	Yes, I speak quite a lot.

4. Have you been to [country/city]?

Q: 你有冇去過？

Another great conversation starter. You can share your travel stories and learn more about your Cantonese friends’ adventures!

Romanization: nei5 jau5 mou5 heoi3 gwo3

Breakdown:

Character	Romanization	Meaning
你	nei5	You
有冇	jau5 mou5	To have or to not have
去過	heoi3 gwo3	Have been

Here’s an example:

Chinese Characters: 你有冇去過香港?
Meaning: Have you been to Hong Kong?
Romanization: nei5 jau5 mou5 heoi3 gwo3 hoeng1 gong2

A: Varies

Answer	Romanization	Meaning
有呀，去過兩次。	jau5 aa3, heoi3 gwo3 loeng5 ci3	Yes, I’ve been twice.
有呀，去過四次。	jau5 aa3, heoi3 gwo3 sei3 ci3	Yes, I’ve been four times.
有呀，去過一次。	jau5 aa3, heoi3 gwo3 jat1 ci3	Yes, I’ve been once.
冇呀。	mou5 aa3	No. (I have never been.)

5. How are you?

Q: 你好嗎？

This is one of the most useful Cantonese questions to know, especially once you’ve made some good friends and want to inquire about their well-being.

Romanization: nei5 hou2 maa3

Breakdown:

Character	Romanization	Meaning
你	nei5	You
好	hou2	Good
嗎	maa3	a Cantonese question particle

A: Varies 

Answer	Romanization	Meaning
我幾好。	ngo5 gei2 hou2	I’m fine.
我好好。	ngo5 hou2 hou2	I’m great.
我非常好。	ngo5 fei1 soeng4 hou2	I’m very good.
我唔係幾好。	ngo5 m4 hai6 gei2 hou2	I’m not so well.

➜ Do you need more vocabulary to answer this question? Have a look at our vocabulary list of words and phrases for describing your feelings!

6. What are you doing?

Q: 你做緊咩？

Are you curious about what your new bestie is up to? Ask them in Cantonese! 

Romanization: nei5 zou6 gan2 me1

Breakdown:

Character	Romanization	Meaning
你	nei5	You
做緊	zou6 gan2	Doing
咩	me1	What

A: Varies 

Answer	Romanization	Meaning
我諗緊嘢。	ngo5 nam2 gan2 je5	I’m thinking.
我食緊嘢。	ngo5 sik6 gan2 je5	I’m eating.
我做緊嘢。	ngo5 zou6 gan2 je5	I’m working.
我畫緊嘢。	ngo5 waak6 gan2 je5	I’m drawing.

➜ Fancy to learn more, check out our article on the Top 10 Most Common Cantonese Questions and Answers!

5. Learn Cantonese Conversation Starters

Starting a conversation comes naturally to some people: they follow their instincts and just say whatever pops up in their heads. But some find it intimidating – especially when you’re using a foreign language!

Once you are talking to someone, and you’re both engaged in an interesting topic, it’s easier to keep it going. But just like a slow and cold engine, the difficult part is to pick the right conversation starter. 

Meeting someone new can be exciting!

1- 你識唔識講英文*?

Romanization: nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 gong2 jing1 man2?
Meaning: Do you speak English?
Breakdown:

• 你 (nei5) = “you”
• 識 (sik1) = “know”
• 唔識 (m4 sik1) = “not know”
• 講 (gong2) = “speak”
• 英文 (jing1 man2) = “English”

2- 我唔識講英文*。

Romanization: ngo5 m4 sik1 gong2 jing1 man2.
Meaning: No, I don’t speak English.
Breakdown:

• 我 (ngo5) = “I”
• 唔識 (m4 sik1) = “not know”
• 講 (gong2) = “speak”
• 英文 (jing1 man2) = “English”

* You can change the underlined word with the language you intend to express. For a list of languages in Cantonese, visit our website, where we have listed the Top 38 Languages Spoken in the World!

3 – 天氣點呀?

Romanization: tin1 hei3 dim2 aa3?
Meaning: How’s the weather?
Breakdown:

• 天氣 (tin1 hei3) = “weather”
• 點 (dim2) = “how”
• 呀 (aa3) is a question particle.

4 – 我覺得好熱*。

Romanization: ngo5 gok3 dak1 hou2 jit6.
Meaning: I feel very hot.
Breakdown:

• 我 (ngo5) = “I”
• 覺得 (gok3 dak1) = “feel”
• 好 (hou2) = “very”
• 熱 (jit6) = “hot”

* You can change the underlined word with the word “凍” (dung3) if you feel cold.

5- 你做咩架？

Romanization: nei5 zou6 me1 gaa3?
Meaning: What do you do for a living?
Breakdown:

• 你 (nei5) = “you”
• 做 (zou6) = “do”
• 咩 (me1) = “what”
• 㗎 (gaa3) is a question particle.

6- 我係老師*。

Romanization: ngo5 hai6 lou5 si1.
Meaning: I’m a teacher.
Breakdown:

• 我 (ngo5) = “I”
• 係 (hai6) = “to be”
• 老師 (lou5 si1) = “teacher”

* You can change the underlined word with the occupation you intend to express. For a list of occupations in Cantonese, visit 20 Common Words for Occupations.

6. Bonus: How to Improve Conversation Skills

1- Learn the romanization system.

Pronunciation might be hard, but with the romanization system, you’ll be able to learn the correct pronunciation of a word. This way, you don’t have to keep guessing and going over your vocabulary nonstop! 

Literacy in Cantonese requires the memorization of thousands of components and characters, which can be quite daunting for new Cantonese learners. To start learning the sounds of Cantonese without the baggage of characters, Cantonese jyutping (also referred to as Cantonese romanization) comes in. This is essentially a way to help translate Cantonese pronunciation into English pronunciation.

2-  Focus on speaking.

Many Cantonese beginners find it tempting to learn both reading and writing at the same time. But we believe that it may be better to start learning how to speak before you get into reading and writing at all! This will keep you from using up all of your mental energy and getting burned out at the beginning of your studies and provide a more solid base for your language studies.

As mentioned earlier, there are thousands of Cantonese characters, and they were created based on abstract ideas. It takes a long time to gradually memorize and become familiar with all of them. Instead, focus on speaking first. Master it. This will also give you a chance to practice speaking with locals! 

3- Practice makes perfect.

The truth is that the only way you’re going to get a standard accent, well-ordered sentences, and a better understanding of tones is by speaking. So just get out there and practice! Even if you make a mistake, Cantonese people can usually guess what you’re saying, especially when there’s context. And if they can’t understand, there’s always charades. 

4- Immersion.

Immersion is truly the best way to learn a language, whether it’s deep immersion like living/working/studying in the local country or soft immersion like watching Netflix/TV/movies in your target language. Immersion is helpful because it’s much more authentic, and you can observe how the language is being used in different scenarios—the underlying rules of the language. Over time, you’ll also know much more about the language and culture. If you’re engaging in deep immersion, you can make local friends too!

5- Get some feedback.

Practicing is one thing, but getting valuable feedback is even better. Without feedback, we always run the risk of getting stuck in our mistakes and never being able to spot and correct them.

Finding a language partner (online or in person) is one way to go. If your partner is interested in your native language, you’ll both benefit from the relationship, and it could quickly flourish into a lasting friendship. 

Language coaches are also very effective, as a private teacher will be able to set you on the right path, guide you toward fluency and correct your grammar mistakes or your pronunciation. You can likely find a private teacher or classroom-based sessions in your area or subscribe to an online service such as our Premium PLUS coaching on CantoneseClass101.

7. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

After reading the above, do you want to put more Cantonese words and phrases into your pockets so that you can manage the conversation well with expressive words?

With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.

Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!

And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program! 

Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native! 

Are you an advanced Cantonese learner or aiming to become one? If you’ve decided to step up your game by consuming content made for native speakers, like Cantonese songs and movies, I bet you’re getting a little confused. 

Advanced Cantonese content tends to be full of idioms, slang, and proverbs that make no sense when translated literally. A traditional approach won’t cut it; you’ll have to learn not only words but also entire phrases. 

In this article, we have listed 40+ advanced Cantonese phrases and sentences for advanced learners that will help you level up. Some of them are straightforward and easy to understand, while others are heavily idiomatic and will just require memorization. 

Learn all the advanced phrases you need!

Table of Contents

1. Useful Phrases for Academics
2. Power Phrases for Resumes and Interviews
3. Smart Phrases for Business and Meetings
4. Advanced Idioms, Phrases, and Proverbs for Everyday Usage
5. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

1. Useful Phrases for Academics

Do you plan on attending university in Hong Kong? Then you’re going to need a specific set of advanced Cantonese vocabulary for academic settings. In this section, we’ll introduce you to phrases for academic writing and for discussions. 

Academic Writing

1 – 參考書目如下。

Romanization: caam1 haau2 syu1 muk6 jyu4 haa6.
Meaning: Please find the bibliography below.

2 – 文章冇列明任何來源。

Romanization: man4 zoeng1 mou5 lit6 ming4 jam6 ho4 loi4 jyun4.
Meaning: This article does not specify the sources.

3 – 引文格式

Romanization: jan5 man4 gaak3 sik1
Meaning: Citation format

➜ Please visit our lesson Academic Writing: Common Terms for more examples of words and phrases you should know before attending university.

Discussions

1 – 大家有咩意見或者諗法？

Romanization: daai6 gaa1 jau5 me1 ji3 gin3 waak6 ze2 nam2 faat3?
Meaning: Does anyone have any opinions or thoughts?

2 – 講一個你成功處理工作困難嘅例子。

Romanization: gong2 jat1 go3 nei5 sing4 gung1 cyu5 lei5 gung1 zok3 kwan3 naan4 ge3 lai6 zi2.
Meaning: Give me an example of a time when you overcame a challenge at work.

➜ You’ll find more useful sentences for discussions in the third section of this article (Smart Phrases for Business and Meetings).

2. Power Phrases for Resumes and Interviews

While crafting your resume or having an interview, it’s important that you know how to articulate your worth to the company. Here are six advanced Cantonese phrases to get you started! 

1 – Talking about your university

Chinese Character: 我喺_____畢業。
Romanization: ngo5 hai2 __________ bat1 jip6.
Meaning: I graduated from __________.

Example
Chinese Character: 我喺中文大學畢業。
Romanization: ngo5 hai2 zung1 man4 daai6 hok6 bat1 jip6.
Meaning: I graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

2 – Talking about your major

Chinese Character: 我主修_____。
Romanization: ngo5 zyu2 sau1 __________.
Meaning: I majored in __________.

Example
Chinese Character: 我主修數學。
Romanization: ngo5 zyu2 sau1 sou3 hok6.
Meaning: I majored in mathematics.

3 – Talking about your current job

Chinese Character: 直至現時為止，我係_____嘅_____。
Romanization: zik6 zi3 jin6 si4 wai4 zi2, ngo5 hai6 ______ ge3 ______.
Meaning: Until now, I have been working as ______ at ______.

Example
Chinese Character: 直⾄現時為⽌，我係ABC公司嘅會計。
Romanization: zik6 zi3 jin6 si4 wai4 zi2, ngo5 hai6 ABC gung1 si1 ge3 wui6 gai3.
Meaning: Until now, I have been working as an accountant at ABC Company.

4 – Talking about your work experience

Chinese Character: 我仲做過_____。
Romanization: ngo5 zung6 zou6 gwo3 _________.
Meaning: I also have experience as a(n) __________.

Example
Chinese Character: 我仲做過項目經理。
Romanization: ngo5 zung6 zou6 gwo3 hong6 muk6 ging1 lei5.
Meaning: I also have experience as a project manager.

5 – Talking about your desire to make the move

Chinese Character: 因為我想_____。
Romanization: jan1 wai6 ngo5 soeng2 _____.
Meaning: Because I want to _____.

Example
Chinese Character: 因為我想增值自己。
Romanization: jan1 wai6 ngo5 soeng2 zang1 zik6 zi6 gei2.
Meaning: Because I want to progress (myself).

6 – Talking about why you want to work for the company

Chinese Character: 我鍾意_____，同埋想嘗試其他嘢。
Romanization: ngo5 zung1 ji3_____, tung4 maai4 soeng2 soeng4 si3 kei4 taa1 je5.
Meaning: I like_____, and I wanted to try something else.

Example
Chinese Character: 我鍾意接受挑戰，同埋想嘗試其他嘢。
Romanization: ngo5 zung1 ji3 zip3 sau6 tiu1 zin3, tung4 maai4 soeng2 soeng4 si3 kei4 taa1 je5.
Meaning: I like challenges, and I wanted to try something else.

➜ Thinking of working in Hong Kong? Our article on how to find a job in Hong Kong may be of help to you!

3. Smart Phrases for Business and Meetings

Do you want to stand out in the workplace and during meetings? Here are several advanced phrases in Cantonese that you can use to make yourself heard, articulate your thoughts, and leave a good impression on your colleagues. 

1 – Giving suggestions

Chinese Character: 你應該_____。
Romanization: nei5 jing1 goi1_____.
Meaning: You should_____.

Example
Chinese Character: 你應該接受挑戰。
Romanization: nei5 jing1 goi1 zip3 sau6 tiu1 zin3.
Meaning: You should accept the challenge.

2 – Commenting on a suggestion

Chinese Character: 你嘅建議_____。
Romanization: nei5 ge3 gin3 ji5_____.
Meaning: Your suggestion_____.

Example
Chinese Character: 你嘅建議不獲採納。
Romanization: nei5 ge3 gin3 ji5 bat1 wok6 coi2 naap6.
Meaning: Your suggestion was not accepted.

3 – Expressing your opinion

Chinese Character: 我認為_____。
Romanization: ngo5 jing6 wai4 ______.
Meaning: I think ______.

Example
Chinese Character: 我認為我哋要擴展服務範圍。
Romanization: ngo5 jing6 wai4 ngo5 dei6 jiu3 kwong3 zin2 fuk6 mou6 faan6 wai4.
Meaning: I think that we should broaden our offer.9

4 – Showing your agreement

Chinese Character: 我同意_____。
Romanization: ngo5 tung4 ji3 _________.
Meaning: I agree (with) __________.

Example
Chinese Character: 我同意你嘅方案，我哋應該喺尖沙咀開分店。
Romanization: ngo5 tung4 ji3 nei5 ge3 fong1 on3, ngo5 dei6 jing1 goi1 hai2 zim1 saa1 zeoi2 hoi1 fan1 dim3.
Meaning: I agree with your proposal that we should open a branch in Tsim Sha Tsui.

5 – Showing your disagreement

Chinese Character: 我嘅諗法唔同。
Romanization: ngo5 ge3 nam2 faat3 m4 tung4.
Meaning: I have a different opinion.

Example
Chinese Character: 我嘅諗法唔同，我哋要有新嘢畀個市場。
Romanization: ngo5 ge3 nam2 faat3 m4 tung4, ngo5 dei6 jiu3 jau5 san1 je5 bei2 go3 si5 coeng4.
Meaning: I have a different opinion. We have to bring something new to the market.

6 – Providing feedback on a suggestion

Chinese Character: 聽起嚟_____。
Romanization: teng1 hei2 lei4 _________.
Meaning: Sounds like _________.

Example
Chinese Character: 聽起嚟有啲複雜。
Romanization: teng1 hei2 lei4 jau5 di1 fuk1 zaap6.
Meaning: This sounds a little bit complicated.

7 – Thanking someone for his/her support

Chinese Character: 多謝你嘅支持。
Romanization: do1 ze6 nei5 ge3 zi1 ci4.
Meaning: Thank you for your support.

Example
Chinese Character: 我哋衷心多謝你嘅支持。
Romanization: ngo5 dei6 cung1 sam1 do1 ze6 nei5 ge3 zi1 ci4.
Meaning: We sincerely appreciate your support.

8 – Asking for a meeting

Chinese Character: 我想約_____開會。
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 joek3 _________ hoi1 wui2.
Meaning: I would like to set up a meeting for _________.

Example
Chinese Character: 我想約星期一開會。
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 joek3 sing1 kei4 jat1 hoi1 wui2.
Meaning: I would like to set up a meeting for Monday.

9 – Asking if there’s anything else

Chinese Character: 仲有冇其他嘢？
Romanization: zung6 jau5 mou5 kei4 taa1 je5?
Meaning: Anything else?

Example
Chinese Character: 仲有冇其他嘢我可以幫到你？
Romanization: zung6 jau5 mou5 kei4 taa1 je5 ngo5 ho2 ji5 bong1 dou2 nei5?
Meaning: Is there anything else I can do to help?

10 – Letting the other person know what you’d like to discuss

Chinese Character: 我想傾下_____。
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 king1 haa5 _____.
Meaning: I want to discuss _____.

Example
Chinese Character: 我想傾吓啲細節。
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 king1 haa5 di1 sai3 zit3.
Meaning: I want to discuss the details.

11 – Inquiring about another person’s team at work

Chinese Character: 你條Team最近忙咩呀？
Romanization: nei5 tiu4 Team zeoi3 gan6 mong4 me1 aa3?
Meaning: What has your team been busy with recently?

Example
Chinese Character: 好耐冇見，你條Team最近忙咩呀？
Romanization: hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3, nei5 tiu4 Team zeoi3 gan6 mong4 me1 aa3?
Meaning: It’s been a while since we last met. What has your team been busy with recently?

12 – Starting a conversation with a coworker when you haven’t talked in a while

Chinese Character: 近排點呀？
Romanization: gan6 paai2 dim2 aa3?
Meaning: How’s it going recently?

Example
Chinese Character: 早晨呀，Tim，近排點呀？
Romanization: zou2 san4 aa3, Tim, gan6 paai4 dim2 aa3?
Meaning: Good morning, Tim. How’s it going recently?

13 – Telling a coworker where you’re headed

Chinese Character: 我要去_____。
Romanization: ngo5 jiu3 heoi3 ______.
Meaning: I am going to ______.

Example
Chinese Character: 我要去會議室。
Romanization: ngo5 jiu3 heoi3 wui6 ji5 sat1.
Meaning: I am going to the meeting room.

14 – Letting your coworker know that you’re leaving

Chinese Character: 我走先喇。
Romanization: ngo5 zau2 sin1 laa3.
Meaning: I have to go now.

Example
Chinese Character: 我走先喇，聽日見！
Romanization: ngo5 zau2 sin1 laa3, ting1 jat6 gin3!
Meaning: I have to go now. See you tomorrow!

➜ Do you need more help acing your upcoming meeting or presentation? Check out our Cantonese vocabulary list Essential Vocabulary and Phrases for Preparing a Presentation!

4. Advanced Idioms, Phrases, and Proverbs for Everyday Usage

Learn the most commonly used idioms, sayings, and proverbs in Cantonese!

As an advanced Cantonese learner, you’re expected to be familiar with the most common idioms, proverbs, sayings, and greetings for special occasions. To make things convenient for you, we have listed them below and divided them into different categories. 

Life Event Messages

1 – Birthday wishes

Chinese Character: 祝你生日快樂，心想事成！
Romanization: zuk1 nei5 saang1 jat6 faai3 lok6, sam1 soeng2 si6 sing4!
Meaning: I wish you a happy birthday and that all your wishes come true!

2 – New Year wishes

Chinese Character: 新年快樂，恭喜發財！
Romanization: san1 nin4 faai3 lok6! gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4!
Meaning: May you have a happy and prosperous New Year!

3 – Graduation

Chinese Character: 恭喜你畢業，前程錦繡！
Romanization: gung1 hei2 nei5 bat1 jip6, cin4 cing4 gam2 sau3!
Meaning: Congratulations on your graduation, and best wishes for your next adventure!

4 – New job/promotion

Chinese Character: 恭喜恭喜，鴻圖大展，步步高升！
Romanization: gung1 hei2 gung1 hei2, hung4 tou4 daai6 zin2, bou6 bou6 gou1 sing1!
Meaning: Congratulations! Wishing you successful business development and more advancements in your career!

5 – Wedding

Chinese Character: 祝你哋白頭到老，永結同心！
Romanization: zuk1 nei5 dei6 baak6 tau4 dou3 lou5, wing5 git3 tung4 sam1!
Meaning: May you have a long-lasting marriage and forever stay as one!

➜ To learn more life event messages, take a look at our article Hong Kong Life Events: Happy New Year in Cantonese and More!

Compliments

1 – 你笑得好靚。

Romanization: nei5 siu3 dak1 hou2 leng3.
Meaning: Your smile is beautiful.

2 – 你嘅表現超乎我預期。

Romanization: nei5 ge3 biu2 jin6 ciu1 fu4 ngo5 jyu6 kei4.
Meaning: You’ve exceeded my expectations.

3 – 你影相影得好靚。

Romanization: nei5 jing2 soeng2 jing2 dak1 hou2 leng3.
Meaning: You are good at taking pictures.

4 – 你好有品味。

Romanization: nei5 hou2 jau5 ban2 mei6.
Meaning: You have good taste.

5 – 你係一個好出色嘅廚師。

Romanization: nei5 hai6 jat1 go3 hou2 ceot1 sik1 ge3 cyu4 si1.
Meaning: You’re an excellent cook.

➜ If you want to put more Cantonese compliment phrases in your pocket, check out The 20+ Most Useful Compliments in Cantonese!

Idioms and Proverbs

1 – 豬乸會上樹

Romanization: zyu1 naa2 wui5 soeng5 syu6
Literal Translation: A sow can climb trees
English Equivalent: When pigs fly
Meaning: This phrase is used to refer to something that will never happen.

2 – 掛羊頭賣狗肉

Romanization: gwaa3 joeng4 tau4 maai6 gau2 juk6
Literal Translation: Hang up a sheep’s head and sell dog meat
Meaning: Palm off; deceive

3 – 大石砸死蟹。

Romanization: daai6 sek6 zaak6 sei2 haai5.
Literal Translation: A big rock weighs down on a crab.
Meaning: This refers to being coerced into making a decision under duress, having no choice in the matter.

4 – 牛唔飲水唔撳得牛頭低。

Romanization: ngau4 m4 jam2 seoi2 m4 gam6 dak1 ngau4 tau4 dai1.
Literal Translation: If a cow doesn’t want to drink, you can’t force its head down.
English Equivalent: You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
Meaning: A person is responsible for their own actions. While you can give them advice, it doesn’t mean they’ll take it.

5 – 老貓燒鬚。

Romanization: lou5 maau1 siu1 sou1.
Literal Translation: An old cat burns its whiskers.
Meaning: We use this idiom when someone makes a careless mistake in their area of expertise.

6 – 拉牛上樹

Romanization: laai1 ngau4 soeng5 syu6
Literal Translation: To pull a cow up a tree
Meaning: This phrase refers to an impossible goal that would simply require too much effort.

7 – 騎牛搵馬

Romanization: ke4 ngau4 wan2 maa5
Literal Translation: Riding a cow looking for a horse
Meaning: This idiom refers to using one’s current job to look for a better opportunity.

8 – 扯貓尾

Romanization: ce2 maau1 mei5
Literal Translation: Pull a cat’s tail
Meaning: This refers to putting on a show or colluding.

9 – 捉到鹿唔識脫角

Romanization: zuk1 dou2 luk2 m4 sik1 tyut3 gok3
Literal Translation: Got hold of the deer but can’t remove its antlers
Meaning: This refers to being unable to make the most of an opportunity.

10 – 豬籠入水

Romanization: zyu1 lung4 jap6 seoi2
Literal Translation: Water enters a pig basket
English Equivalent: To make a fortune
Meaning: This phrase means that someone has made a lot of money.

11 – 食碗面反碗底

Romanization: sik6 wun2 min2 faan2 wun2 dai2
Literal Translation: Eat from a bowl and then turn it over
Meaning: This one refers to betraying someone.

12 – 禾稈冚珍珠

Romanization: wo4 gon2 kam2 zan1 zyu1
Literal Translation: Rice stalks covering pearls
Meaning: This refers to concealing one’s ability or wealth.

➜ Cantonese idioms and proverbs are fun! Many of them are related to animals, food, and even ghosts! Learn more by reading our article Cantonese Proverbs and Idioms.

5. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

In this guide, we covered many advanced Cantonese phrases, from academic and business expressions to the most common idioms. While these phrases will definitely help you step up your game, don’t forget that learning a language is a journey—and it’s wise to continuously invest your time and energy!

With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.

Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community where you can discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!

And keep in mind that if you prefer a 1-on-1 learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!

Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!

Are you having trouble jumping the gap from beginner Cantonese to an intermediate level? It can feel daunting to leave the comfort of simple sentence structures and common words, and even more so to start treading the uncharted grounds of complex ideas and subtle feelings. But once you’ve made the initial move toward learning intermediate Cantonese, you’ll find a lot of satisfaction in honing your skills on the more challenging aspects of the language. 

➜ In case you’re struggling to reach the intermediate level, see our lesson 5 Tips to Reach Intermediate Level!

In this article, you’ll find 30+ intermediate Cantonese phrases covering different aspects of life, from making recommendations to putting your best foot forward in business or social settings. 

What are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!

Let’s get going!

Table of Contents

1. Talking About Past Events
2. Making and Changing Plans
3. Explaining and Listing Reasons
4. Recommendations and Complaints
5. Reaction Phrases for Everyday Conversations
6. Etiquette Phrases for Social and Business Settings
7. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

1. Talking About Past Events

Cantonese is considered a tenseless language. In contrast to European languages like English or French, it has neither conjugation nor the concept of tense. We don’t modify verbs to express when an action took place; instead, we use additional words to serve this function when necessary. That said, we can usually tell from the context whether an event happened in the past, present, or future.

➜ Interested in learning more about Cantonese grammar and how we indicate tense in Cantonese? We recommend you read our Guide to Basic Cantonese Grammar!

I had fun last night!

Here are five intermediate phrases in Cantonese you can use when talking about past events: 

1 – 你去咗邊呀？

Romanization: nei5 heoi3 zo2 bin1 aa3?
Meaning: Where did you go?
Literal translation: You went where?

2 – 你尋日做咩？

Romanization: nei5 cam4 jat6 zou6 me1?
Meaning: What did you do yesterday?
Literal translation: You yesterday do what?

3 – 佢哋頭先走咗。

Romanization: keoi5 dei6 tau4 sin1 zau2 zo2. 
Meaning: They just left.

4 – 尋日我去公園。

Romanization: cam4 jat6 ngo5 heoi3 gung1 jyun2.
Meaning: Yesterday I went to the park.
Literal translation: Yesterday I went the park.

5 – 頭先同班兄弟踢波。

Romanization: tau4 sin1 tung4 baan1 hing1 dai6 tek3 bo1.
Meaning: I was playing soccer with my friends just now.
Literal translation: Just now with my friends playing soccer.

2. Making and Changing Plans

Now that you have a better grasp on talking about the past, let’s jump back to the future.

Usually, mentioning the date of an event is enough for the other person to understand you’re talking about the future. Sometimes, you don’t even need to mention the date—people will gather that it’s a future event from the context.

Here are six basic Cantonese phrases for making and changing plans: 

1 – 我打畀你。 

Romanization: ngo5 daa2 bei2 nei5.
Meaning: I’ll call you.
Literal translation: I call you.

2 – 我哋聽日幾點見？ 

Romanization: ngo5 dei6 ting1 jat6 gei2 dim2 gin3?
Meaning: What time shall we meet tomorrow?
Literal translation: We tomorrow when meet?

3 – 你鍾唔鍾意呢度？ 

Romanization: nei5 zung1 m4 zung1 ji3 ni1 dou6?
Meaning: What do you think of this place?
Literal translation: You like or not like this place?

4 – 不如我哋去第二度？ 

Romanization: bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 heoi3 dai6 ji6 dou6?
Meaning: Shall we go somewhere else?
Literal translation: How about we go elsewhere?

5 – 我哋一齊去玩好嗎？ 

Romanization: ngo5 dei6 jat1 cai4 heoi3 waan2 hou2 maa3?
Meaning: Would you like to hang out with me?
Literal translation: We together play good?

6 – 你今個禮拜尾得唔得閒？ 

Romanization: nei5 gam1 go3 lai5 baai1 mei5 dak1 m4 dak1 haan4?
Meaning: Are you free this weekend?
Literal translation: You this weekend free or not free?

3. Explaining and Listing Reasons

Stating facts or describing things that you’ve done is a great start. But your conversations will get much more interesting once you’re able to explain the reasoning behind your actions and understand people’s motivations. This could be as simple as saying that you don’t want dessert because you’re full, or as complex as elaborating on your tastes in music or movies.

Describing your reasons is quite straightforward in Cantonese. You’ll just need to know a few key words and structures before you can talk about causes and consequences. These words are:

• 因為 (jan1 wai6) – because
• 唔怪得之 (m4 gwaai3 dak1 zi1) – no wonder
• 由於 (jau4 jyu1) – due to

Looking for more connecting words like these? Check out our complete guide to Cantonese conjunctions and connecting words!

Here are six intermediate Cantonese phrases for explaining and listing reasons:

1 – 我因為結婚要買樓。 

Romanization: ngo5 jan1 wai6 git3 fan1 jiu3 maai5 lau2.
Meaning: I need to buy a flat because I am getting married.
Literal translation: I because marriage need buy flat.

2 – 你着咁少衫，唔怪得之會感冒。 

Romanization: nei5 zoek3 gam3 siu2 saam1, m4 gwaai3 dak1 zi1 wui2 gam2 mou6.
Meaning: You’re wearing so little. No wonder you’ve got a cold.
Literal translation: You wear so little, no wonder you got cold.

3 – 我鍾意端午節，因為可以食糭。

Romanization: ngo5 zung1 ji3 dyun1 ng5 zit3, jan1 wai6 ho2 ji3 sik6 zung2.
Meaning: I like the Dragon Boat Festival because I can eat rice dumplings.
Literal translation: I like dragon boat festivals, because I can eat rice dumplings.

4 – 你亂咁食嘢，唔怪得之會肚痛啦。

Romanization: nei5 lyun2 gam3 sik6 je5, m4 gwaai3 dak1 zi1 wui2 tou5 tung3 laa3.
Meaning: You’re eating so irregularly. No wonder you’ve got a stomachache.
Literal translation: You random eat, no wonder you got stomachache.

5 – 由於特殊嘅原因，飛機將會馬上掉頭。

Romanization: jau4 jyu1 dak6 syu4 ge3 jyun4 jan1, fei1 gei1 zoeng1 wui5 maa5 soeng6 diu6 tau4.
Meaning: For exceptional reasons, the plane will fly back to the departure airport shortly.
Literal translation: Because of exceptional reasons, the plane will immediately turn around.

6 – 好多鹿都因為佢哋嘅鹿角而俾人獵殺。

Romanization: hou2 do1 luk2 dou1 jan1 wai6 keoi5 dei6 ge3 luk2 gok3 ji4 bei2 jan4 lip6 saat3.
Meaning: Many species of deer are hunted for their antlers.
Literal translation: Many deers because of their antlers then get hunted.

4. Recommendations and Complaints

Sharing our opinions and insights helps us create bonds and allows us to learn from each other’s experiences. Whether you want to make a complaint at a shop or ask for restaurant recommendations from your friends, you’ll find some of the most useful phrases below.

➜ We also have a list of complaint phrases available in case you need more!

Which one should I choose?

1 – Office好熱。 

Romanization: office hou2 jit6.
Meaning: The office is hot.
Literal translation: Office very hot.

2 – 呢度有撻漬。 

Romanization: ni1 dou6 jau5 daat3 zik1. 
Meaning: There is a stain here.
Literal translation: Here have stain.

3 – 邊間餐廳好呀？

Romanization: bin1 gaan1 caan1 teng1 hou2 aa1?
Meaning: Which restaurant is good?
Literal translation: Which restaurant good?

4 – 電視有咩好睇？

Romanization: din6 si6 jau5 me1 hou2 tai2?
Meaning: What’s good on TV?
Literal translation: TV have what good watch?

5 – 呢度至好食係乜？

Romanization: ni1 dou6 zi3 hou2 sik6 hai6 mat1?
Meaning: What is the best food here?
Literal translation: Here best food what?

6 – 我啱啱收到啲貨，但係同我買嘅嘢唔同嘅。

Romanization: ngo5 aam1 aam1 sau1 dou2 di1 fo3, daan6 hai6 tung4 ngo5 maai5 ge3 je5 m4 tung4 ge2.
Meaning: I just had my shopping delivered, but this is not what I ordered.
Literal translation: I just received goods, but with my purchased goods not same.

5. Reaction Phrases for Everyday Conversations

Let’s change the tempo with some examples of conversational phrases. In this section, you’ll learn how to react to statements with different emotions. On your road to fluency, learning to express interesting and nuanced reactions (rather than just saying “yes” or “no”) is a great step forward that will add a lot of flavor to your conversations.

➜ Want to stay positive? Then visit our list of positive emotions in Cantonese! 

What?

1 – 你錯喇！

Romanization: nei5 co3 laa3!
Meaning: You’re wrong!
Literal translation: You wrong!

2 – 係真㗎！ 

Romanization: hai6 zan1 gaa3!
Meaning: That’s true!
Literal translation: Is true!

3 – 我諗唔係。

Romanization: ngo5 lam2 m4 hai6.
Meaning: I don’t think so.
Literal translation: I think no.

4 – 今晚好開心。 

Romanization: gam1 maan1 hou2 hoi1 sam1.
Meaning: That was a great evening.
Literal translation: Tonight very happy.

5 – 我都唔肯定。 

Romanization: ngo5 dou1 m4 hang2 ding6.
Meaning: Well, I’m not sure.
Literal translation: I too not sure.

6 – 係呀，你講得啱。

Romanization: hai6 aa3, nei5 gong2 dak1 aam1.
Meaning: Yes, you’re right.
Literal translation: Yes, you speak right.

6. Etiquette Phrases for Social and Business Settings

Manners Maketh Man. 

Courtesy is the lubricant that makes society run smoothly. It helps ease the friction between people of different backgrounds and acts as a framework for peaceful social interactions. Below, you’ll find a few intermediate Cantonese phrases that will help you be polite and courteous in a variety of situations.

➜ To learn Cantonese business phrases, make sure to read our dedicated article!

Make a good impression.

1 – 慢慢食。

Romanization: maan6 maan2 sik6.
Meaning: Courtesy phrase used at the beginning of a meal
Literal translation: Slow slow eat.

2 – 一路順風。

Romanization: jat1 lou6 seon6 fung1.
Meaning: Bon voyage.
Literal translation: All the way smooth.

3 – 旅途愉快。

Romanization: leoi5 tou4 jyu6 faai3.
Meaning: Happy journey.
Literal translation: Journey happy.

4 – 唔使拘謹。 

Romanization: m4 sai2 keoi1 gan2.
Meaning: Please make yourself at home.
Literal translation: No need prudish.

5 – 我車你返屋企。  

Romanization: ngo5 ce1 nei5 faan1 uk1 kei5.
Meaning: I will drive you home.
Literal translation: I drive you back home.

6 – 我期待聽日嘅來臨。

Romanization: ngo5 kei4 doi6 ting1 jat6 ge3 loi4 lam4.
Meaning: I look forward to tomorrow.
Literal translation: I look forward tomorrow coming.

7. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

We hope you enjoyed this article and learned some practical phrases that you’ll be able to start using right away. Let us know in the comments if we missed any essential Cantonese phrases for the intermediate level, or if there’s a situation we didn’t cover. We’d be glad to help! 

Can’t wait to continue your Cantonese journey after mastering the intermediate phrases? We know that learning a new language can be tiresome or even lonely, but with the right tools, you can master Cantonese without all the struggling. 

With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.

Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community where you can discuss lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!

And keep in mind that if you prefer a 1-on-1 learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher service.

Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!

We’ve already compiled guides on Cantonese words for beginners and intermediate learners for those who are dedicated to acquiring this fantastic language. And now, for those who have persevered and made it to the advanced level, we have also put together this advanced Cantonese words guide. If you’re looking to become a master in Cantonese and are wondering what vocabulary words you should learn next, this one’s for you!

Learn the advanced Cantonese words you need!

In this article, we’ll list the most important Cantonese words for advanced learners so that you can communicate, understand, and express situations more accurately. Keep reading!

Table of Contents

1. Academic Words
2. Business Words
3. Medical Words
4. Legal Words
5. General Advanced Words
6. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

1. Academic Words

Our first set of advanced Cantonese vocabulary words comprises terms related to academia. These words will be essential if you plan to study in Hong Kong! 

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning	Example
1	學術 (adj.)	hok6 seot6	academic	近年學術文章嘅出版數量增加。 gan6 nin4 hok6 seot6 man4 zoeng1 ge3 ceot1 baan2 sou3 loeng6 zang1 gaa1. The number of academic writings being published has increased in recent years.
2	意見 (n.)	ji3 gin3	opinion	大家有咩意見或者諗法？ daai6 gaa1 jau5 me1 ji3 gin3 waak6 ze2 lam2 faat3? Does anyone have any opinions or thoughts?
3	參考書目 (n.)	caam1 haau2 syu1 muk6	bibliography	參考書目如下。 caam1 haau2 syu1 muk6 jyu4 haa6. Please find the bibliography below.
4	結論 (n.)	git3 leon6	conclusion	結論係令讀者留下好印象嘅最後機會。 git3 leon6 hai6 ling6 duk6 ze2 lau4 haa6 hou2 jan3 zoeng6 ge3 zeoi3 hau6 gei1 wui3. The last chance to impress the readers is through the conclusion.
5	論文 (n.)	leon6 man2	thesis	個教授要求寫一篇三十頁嘅論文啊。 go3 gaau3 sau6 jiu1 kau4 se2 jat1 pin1 saam1 sap6 jip6 ge3 leon6 man2 aa3.        The professor asked for a thirty-page thesis.
6	隱喻 (n.)	jan2 jyu6	metaphor	隱喻令讀者發揮想像力。 jan2 jyu6 ling6 duk6 ze2 faat3 fai1 soeng2 zoeng6 lik6. Metaphors encourage readers to imagine.
7	抄襲 (n.)	caau1 zaap6	plagiarism	抄襲係一個好嚴重嘅罪行。 caau1 zaap6 hai6 jat1 go3 hou2 jim4 zung6 ge3 zeoi6 hang6. Plagiarism is a serious crime.
8	結構 (n.)	git3 kau3	structure	建築結構 gin3 zuk1 git3 kau3 Architecture structure
9	來源 (n.)	loi4 jyun4	source	文章冇列明任何來源。 man4 zoeng1 mou5 lit6 ming4 jam6 ho4 loi4 jyun4. This article does not specify the sources.
10	簡報 (n.)	gaan2 bou3	presentation	設計引人入勝嘅簡報。 cit3 gai3 jan5 jan4 jap6 sing3 ge3 gaan2 bou3. Design a fascinating presentation.
11	文學士 (n.)	man4 hok6 si6	Bachelor of Arts	文學士適唔適合我？ man4 hok6 si6 sik1 m4 sik1 hap6 ngo5? Does a Bachelor of Arts suit me?
12	格式 (n.)	gaak3 sik1	format	引文格式 jan5 man4 gaak3 sik1 Citation format
13	研究 (n.)	jin4 gau3	research	私人研究嘅成本好高。 si1 jan4 jin4 gau3 ge3 sing4 bun2 hou2 gou1. Private research is very costly.
14	例子 (n.)	lai6 zi2	example	講一個你成功處理工作困難嘅例子。 gong2 jat1 go3 nei5 sing4 gung1 cyu5 lei5 gung1 zok3 kwan3 naan4 ge3 lai6 zi2. Tell me about an example where you overcame a challenge at work.
15	段 (n.)	dyun6	paragraph	第三段 dai6 saam1 dyun6 The third paragraph
16	學術寫作 (n.)	hok6 seot6 se2 zok3	academic writing	學術寫作係申請美國大學時必備嘅能力。 hok6 seot6 se2 zok3 hai6 san1 cing2 mei5 gwok3 daai6 hok6 si4 bit1 bei6 ge3 nang4 lik6. Academic writing is a necessary skill for applying to universities in the States.
17	摘要 (n.)	zaak6 jiu3	abstract	摘要內容必須要緊湊。 zaak6 jiu3 noi6 jung4 bit1 seoi1 jiu3 gan2 cau3. The content of an abstract has to be tight.
18	個案研究 (n.)	go3 on3 jin4 gau3	case study	個案研究報告 go3 on3 jin4 gau3 bou3 gou3 Case study report
19	介紹 (n.)	gaai3 siu6	introduction	自我介紹 zi6 ngo5 gaai3 siu6 Self-introduction
20	改寫 (n.)	goi2 se2	paraphrase	改寫句子 goi2 se2 geoi3 zi2 Paraphrasing a sentence
21	副教授 (n.)	fu3 gaau3 sau6	associate professor	副教授都係终身嘅。 fu3 gaau3 sau6 dou1 hai6 zung1 san1 ge3. Associate professor is also a lifelong position.
22	研討會 (n.)	jin4 tou2 wui2	seminar	學術研討會 hok6 seot6 jin4 tou2 wui2 Academic seminar
23	理論 (n.)	lei5 leon6	theory	科學理論 fo1 hok6 lei5 leon6 Scientific theory
24	研究生 (n.)	jin4 gau3 sang1	graduate student	珍妮係研究生。 zan1 nei4 hai6 jin4 gau3 sang1. Jenny is a graduate student.
25	座談會 (n.)	zo6 taam4 wui2	symposium	佢喺文章分享對座談會嘅感悟。 keoi5 hai2 man4 zoeng1 fan1 hoeng2 deoi3 zo6 taam4 wui2 ge3 gam2 ng6. He shared his thoughts on the symposium in an article.

2. Business Words

As an advanced Cantonese learner who’s serious about your studies, you’ll greatly benefit from learning words related to the business world. Memorizing the words below will give you a leg up as you search for a job in Hong Kong and allow you to discuss a wider range of topics. 

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning	Example
1	經濟 (n.)	ging1 zai3	economics	經濟可以應用喺好多範疇。 ging1 zai3 ho2 ji5 jing3 jung6 hai2 hou2 do1 faan6 cau4. Economics is a good background for many fields.
2	通脹率 (n.)	tung1 zoeng3 leot2	inflation rate	津巴布韋係全世界通脹率最誇張嘅國家。 zeon1 baa1 bou3 wai5 hai6 cyun4 sai3 gaai3 tung1 zoeng3 leot2 zeoi3 kwaa1 zoeng1 ge3 gwok3 gaa1. Zimbabwe has the world’s most bizarre inflation rate.
3	通縮 (n.)	tung1 suk1	deflation	通縮即係整體物價水平下降，係通脹嘅相反。 tung1 suk1 zik1 hai6 zing2 tai2 mat6 gaa3 seoi2 ping4 haa6 gong3, hai6 tung1 zoeng3 ge3 soeng1 faan2.         Deflation means a fall in the general price level; it is the opposite of inflation.
4	圖表 (n.)	tou4 biu2	chart	個圖表顯示公司上季嘅銷售業績。 go3 tou4 biu2 hin2 si6 gung1 si1 soeng6 gwai3 ge3 siu1 sau6 jip6 zik1. This chart shows the company’s sales from last quarter.
5	每月數據 (n.)	mui5 jyut6 sou3 geoi3	monthly breakdown	睇住個每月數據，金融形勢愈嚟愈清楚。 tai2 zyu6 go3 mui5 jyut6 sou3 geoi3, gam1 jung4 jing4 sai3 jyu6 lei4 jyu6 cing1 co2.       Looking at the monthly breakdown, the financial situation becomes clearer.
6	跌 (v.)	dit3	to drop	最近報告濫用毒品嘅人數跌咗。 zeoi3 gan6 laam5 joek6 ge3 bou3 gou3 jan4 sou3 dit3 zo2.         The number of reported drug abuse has decreased recently.
7	反彈 (n./v.)	faan2 daan6	rebound	無論如何，我哋都要搵辦法嚟彌補呢個新嘅反彈。 mou4 leon6 jyu4 ho4, ngo5 dei6 dou1 jiu3 wan2 baan6 faat3 lei4 nei4 bou2 ni1 go3 san1 ge3 faan2 daan6.        At any rate, we have to find a way to compensate for that new rebound.
8	穩步上升 (v.)	wan2 bou6 soeng6 sing1	to increase steadily	睇嚟我哋每月嘅收入穩步上升。 tai2 lei4 ngo5 dei6 mui5 jyut6 ge3 sau1 jap6 wan2 bou6 soeng6 sing1. It seems that our monthly incomes are increasing steadily.
9	總銷售額 (n.)	zung2 siu1 sau6 ngaak2	total sales	上年嘅總銷售額高過大家預期。 soeng6 nin2 ge3 zung2 siu1 sau6 ngaak2 gou1 gwo3 daai6 gaa1 jyu6 kei4. Last year’s total sales were a lot higher than everybody had expected.
10	銷售預測 (n.)	siu1 sau6 jyu6 cak1	sales forecast	銷售預測係必要嘅商業行為。 siu1 sau6 jyu6 cak1 hai6 bit1 jiu3 ge3 soeng1 jip6 hang4 wai4. Developing sales forecasts is a necessary business practice.
11	銷售業績 (n.)	siu1 sau6 jip6 zik1	sales performance	呢間公司嘅銷售業績咁好，應該值得投資。 ni1 gaan1 gung1 si1 ge3 siu1 sau6 jip6 zik1 gam3 hou2, jing1 goi1 zik6 dak1 tau4 zi1. This company should be worth investing in because of its excellent sales performance.
12	推廣活動 (n.)	teoi1 gwong2 wut6 dung6	campaign	為咗推廣產品，佢哋實行一個全國推廣活動。 wai6 zo2 teoi1 gwong2 caan2 ban2, keoi5 dei6 sat6 hang4 jat1 go3 cyun4 gwok3 teoi1 gwong2 wut6 dung6.       In order to promote the product, they are running a nationwide campaign.
13	PRESENT (v.)	PRE6 SEN6	presentation	推銷一個諗法嘅時候，最好為個PRESENT準備充足。 teoi1 siu1 jat1 go3 nam2 faat3 ge3 si4 hau6, zeoi3 hou2 wai6 go3 PRE6 SEN1 zeon2 bei6 cung1 zuk1. The best way to sell an idea is to be well prepared for a presentation.
14	講解 (v.)	gong2 gaai2	to explain	個水手講解佢點樣俾海岸護衛隊救返。 go3 seoi2 sau2 gong2 gaai2 keoi5 dim2 joeng2 bei2 hoi2 ngon6 wu6 wai6 deoi2 gau3 faan1. The sailor explained how he was rescued by the coast guard.
15	準備 (n./v.)	zeon2 bei6	preparation	去旅行要準備好多嘢。 heoi3 leoi5 hang4 jiu3 zeon2 bei6 hou2 do1 je5. Traveling requires a lot of preparation.
16	CHECK (v.)	CHECK1	to check	因為技術問題，我CHECK唔到個銀行戶口。 jan1 wai6 gei6 seot6 man6 tai4, ngo5 CHECK1 m4 dou2 go3 ngan4 hong4 wu6 hau2. I can’t check my bank account due to technical problems.
17	投影機 (n.)	tau4 jing2 gei1	projector	如果呢盞燈閃下閃下，即係個投影機要修理喇。 jyu4 gwo2 ni1 zaan2 dang1 sim2 haa5 sim2 haa5, zik1 hai6 go3 tau4 jing2 gei1 jiu3 sau1 lei5 laa3. If this light blinks, it means the projector needs to be fixed.
18	會議室 (n.)	wui6 ji5 sat1	meeting room	會議室嘅燈光可以影響成間房嘅氣氛。 wui6 ji5 sat1 ge3 dang1 gwong1 ho2 ji5 jing2 hoeng2 seng4 gaan1 fong2 ge3 hei3 fan1.         The lighting in a meeting room can influence the atmosphere in the room.
19	墨 (n.)	mak6	ink	衫上面啲墨跡好難洗甩。 saam1 soeng6 min6 di1 mak6 zik1 hou2 naan4 sai2 lat1. It’s very hard to get rid of the ink mark on the shirt.
20	白板 (n.)	baak6 baan2	whiteboard	要展示一啲視覺上嘅嘢，白板係最好嘅途徑。 jiu3 zin2 si6 jat1 di1 si6 gok3 soeng6 ge3 je5, baak6 baan2 hai6 zeoi3 hou2 ge3 tou4 ging3. A whiteboard is a perfect means to demonstrate something visually.
21	實體店 (n.)	sat6 tai2 dim3	physical store	實體店會閂門，但係網上商店就可以24小時開住。 sat6 tai2 dim3 wui5 saan1 mun4, daan6 hai6 mong5 soeng6 soeng1 dim3 zau6 ho2 ji5 ji6 sap6 sei3 siu2 si4 hoi1 zyu6. Physical stores have to close up every day, but online stores can be opened 24 hours a day.
22	速遞 (n.)	cuk1 dai6	courier	咁急？要寄速遞先趕得切喇。 gam3 gap1? jiu3 gei3 cuk1 dai6 sin1 gon2 dak1 cit3 laa3.So urgent? Then we’ll have to send it by courier to be on time.
23	物流公司 (n.)	mat6 lau4 gung1 si1	logistics company	你有冇相熟嘅物流公司？我有一批貨要運去大陸。 nei5 jau5 mou5 soeng1 suk6 ge3 mat6 lau4 gung1 si1? ngo5 jau5 jat1 pai1 fo3 jiu3 wan6 heoi3 daai6 luk6. Do you have a preferred logistics company? I have a number of goods to be transported to the mainland.
24	負責 (v.)	fu6 zaak3	to take responsibility	係我做錯程序，我會負責。 hai6 ngo5 zou6 co3 cing4 zeoi6, ngo5 wui5 fu6 zaak3. I did not follow the procedures well; I will take responsibility.
25	裁員 (n.)	coi4 jyun4	layoff	裁員通知已經落咗喇，今次唔知係邊個黑仔。 coi4 jyun4 tung1 zi1 ji5 ging1 lok6 zo2 laa3, gam1 ci3 m4 zi1 hai6 bin1 go3 haak1 zai2. The layoff notice has already been sent, but we don’t know who the unlucky ones are.

3. Medical Words

Whether you plan to study medicine, want to land a job in the medical field, or happen to find yourself in the emergency room, you’ll want to know the following words.

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning	Example
1	專科 (n.)	zyun1 fo1	specialists (medical)	有冇專科醫生推薦？ jau5 mou5 zyun1 fo1 ji1 sang1 teoi1 zin3? Any recommended specialist doctors?
2	醫科 (n.)	ji1 fo1	medical studies	人人都想讀醫科。 jan4 jan4 dou1 soeng2 duk6 ji1 fo1. Everyone wants to pursue medical studies.
3	法醫 (n.)	faat3 ji1	forensics	法醫人類學家 faat3 ji1 jan4 leoi6 hok6 gaa1 Forensic anthropologist
4	診斷 (n.)	can2 dyun6	diagnosis	必須以進一步嘅調查確定診斷。 bit1 seoi1 ji5 zeon3 jat1 bou6 ge3 diu6 caa4 kok3 ding6 can2 dyun6. It’s necessary to conduct further investigation to confirm the diagnosis.
5	症狀 (n.)	zing3 zong6	symptom	新型冠狀病毒嘅症狀 san1 jing4 gun1 zong6 beng6 duk6 ge3 zing3 zong6 The symptoms of COVID-19
6	藥物 (n.)	joek6 mat6	drug	藥物可能有副作用。 joek6 mat6 ho2 nang4 jau5 fu3 zok3 jung6. The drug may contain side effects.
7	藥物敏感 (n.)	joek6 mat6 man5 gam2	drug sensitivity	我有藥物敏感。 ngo5 jau5 joek6 mat6 man5 gam2. I have drug sensitivity.
8	食物中毒 (n.)	sik6 mat6 zung3 duk6	food poisoning	我應該係食物中毒。 ngo5 jing1 goi1 hai6 sik6 mat6 zung3 duk6. I probably got food poisoning.
9	腹部絞痛 (n.)	fuk1 bou6 gaau2 tung3	abdominal cramps	症狀包括腹部絞痛 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 fuk1 bou6 gaau2 tung3 Symptoms include abdominal cramps
10	食慾不振 (n.)	sik6 juk6 bat1 zan3	loss of appetite	症狀包括食慾不振 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 sik6 juk6 bat1 zan3 Symptoms include loss of appetite
11	發燒 (n.)	faat3 siu1	fever	症狀包括發燒 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 faat3 siu1 Symptoms include fever
12	乏力 (n.)	fat6 lik6	fatigue	症狀包括乏力 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 fat6 lik6 Symptoms include fatigue
13	反胃 (n.)	faan2 wai6	nausea	症狀包括反胃 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 faan2 wai6 Symptoms include nausea
14	嘔 (n.)	au2	vomiting	症狀包括嘔 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 au2 Symptoms include vomiting
15	肚屙 (n.)	tou5 o1	diarrhea	症狀包括腹瀉 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 tou5 o1 Symptoms include diarrhea
16	頭痛 (n.)	tau4 tung3	headaches	症狀包括頭痛 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 tau4 tung3 Symptoms include headaches
17	牙痛 (n.)	ngaa4 tung3	toothaches	症狀包括牙痛 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 ngaa4 tung3 Symptoms include toothaches
18	肌肉痛 (n.)	gei1 juk6 tung3	muscle pain	症狀包括肌肉痛 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 gei1 juk6 tung3 Symptoms include muscle pain
19	關節痛 (n.)	gwaan1 zit3 tung3	joint pain	症狀包括關節痛 zing3 zong6 baau1 kut3 gwaan1 zit3 tung3 Symptoms include joint pain
20	過敏反應 (n.)	gwo3 man5 faan2 jing3	allergic reaction	我有過敏反應。 ngo5 jau5 gwo3 man5 faan2 jing3. I got an allergic reaction.
21	花粉過敏 (n.)	faa1 fan2 gwo3 man5	hay fever	我有花粉過敏。 ngo5 jau5 faa1 fan2 gwo3 man5. I got hay fever.
22	濕疹 (n.)	sap1 can2	eczema	我有濕疹。 ngo5 jau5 sap1 can2. I got eczema.
23	類固醇 (n.)	leoi6 gu3 seon4	steroid	我對類固醇過敏。 ngo5 deoi3 leoi6 gu3 seon4 gwo3 man5. I am allergic to steroids.
24	胃潰瘍 (n.)	wai6 kui2 joeng4	peptic ulcers	我有胃潰瘍。 ngo5 jau5 wai6 kui2 joeng4. I got peptic ulcers.
25	免疫系統疾病 (n.)	min2 jik6 hai6 tung2 zat6 beng6	autoimmune disease	我有免疫系統疾病。 ngo5 jau5 min2 jik6 hai6 tung2 zat6 beng6. I got an autoimmune disease.

4. Legal Words

As you enter an advanced level of Cantonese, learning a bit of legal vocabulary will help you sound better educated and allow you to discuss important topics with greater accuracy. Here are just a few of the key terms you should know. 

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning	Example
1	法庭 (n.)	faat3 ting4	court	法庭係進行法律聆訊嘅地方。 faat3 ting4 hai6 zeon3 hang4 faat3 leot6 ling4 seon3 ge3 dei6 fong1. A court is a place where the adjudication of legal disputes is carried out.
2	結論 (n.)	git3 leon6	decision	上訴法庭嘅結論 soeng5 sou3 faat3 ting4 ge3 git3 leon6 Decision from Court of Appeal
3	案件 (n.)	on3 gin2	case	民事案件 man4 si6 on3 gin2 A civil case
4	陪審團 (n.)	pui4 sam2 tyun4	jury	陪審團係普通香港市民。 pui4 sam2 tyun4 hai6 pou2 tung1 hoeng1 gong2 si5 man4 The jury consists of ordinary Hong Kong citizens.
5	審判 (n.)	sam2 pun3	trial	審判結果 sam2 pun3 git3 gwo2 Trial result
6	合同 (n.)	hap6 tung4	contract	請細閱及簽訂合同。 cing2 sai3 jyut6 kap6 cim1 ding3 hap6 tung4. Please review and sign the contract.
7	罰款 (n.)	fat6 fun2	fine	佢非法泊車需要交罰款。 keoi5 fei1 faat3 paak3 ce1 seoi1 jiu3 gaau1 fat6 fun2. He received a fine for parking illegally.
8	疑犯 (n.)	ji4 faan2	suspect	疑犯揸車走甩咗。 ji4 faan2 zaa1 ce1 zau2 lat1 zo2. The suspect did a hit and run.
9	拉 (v.)	laai1	arrest	警方拉咗兩名疑犯。 ging2 fong1 laai1 zo2 loeng5 ming4 ji4 faan2. The police arrested two suspects.
10	檢控 (v.)	gim2 hung3	prosecute	佢被檢控。 keoi5 bei6 gim2 hung3 He is being prosecuted.
11	被告 (n.)	bei6 gou3	defendant	被告申請保釋。 bei6 gou3 san1 cing2 bou2 sik1. The defendant applied for bail.
12	法律 (n.)	faat3 leot6	law	好多讀法律嘅學生去打政府工。 hou2 do1 duk6 faat3 leot6 ge3 hok6 saang1 heoi3 daa2 zing3 fu2 gung1. Many students of law take government jobs.
13	律師 (n.)	leot6 si1	lawyer	律師正為犯人辯護。 leot6 si1 zing3 wai6 faan6 jan4 bin6 wu6. The lawyer is defending the criminal.
14	定罪 (n.)	ding6 zeoi6	conviction	定罪紀錄 ding6 zeoi6 gei2 luk6 Conviction record
15	原告 (n.)	jyun4 gou3	plaintiff	原告取得補償。 jyun4 gou3 ceoi2 dak1 bou2 soeng4. The plaintiff is reimbursed.
16	立法 (n.)	laap6 faat3	legislation	立法部門 laap6 faat3 bou6 mun4 Legislative branch
17	保證 (n.)	bou2 zing3	pledge	消極保證 siu1 gik6 bou2 zing3 Negative Pledge
18	有罪 (adj.)	jau5 zeoi6	guilty	佢被判有罪。 keoi5 bei6 pun3 jau5 zeoi6. He is found guilty.
19	判決 (n.)	pun3 kyut3	verdict	佢質疑判決。 keoi5 zat1 ji4 pun3 kyut3. He questions the verdict.
20	指控  (v.)	zi2 hung3	accuse	佢被指控偷車。 keoi5 bei6 zi2 hung3 tau1 ce1. He is accused of car theft.
21	犯法 (adj.)	fan6 faat3	illegal	吸食大麻喺香港係犯法嘅。 kap1 sik6 daai6 maa4 hai2 hoeng1 gong2 hai6 faan6 faat3 ge3. Smoking marijuana is illegal in Hong Kong.
22	證據 (n.)	zing3 geoi3	evidence	如果你可以揾到證據就最好啦。 jyu4 gwo2 nei5 ho2 ji5 wan2 dou2 zing3 geoi3 zau6 zeoi3 hou2 laa1. If you can find evidence, that would be good.
23	證明 (v.)	zing3 ming4	to prove	所有證據都證明你就係殺人兇手。 so2 jau5 zing3 geoi3 dou1 zing3 ming4 nei5 zau6 hai6 saat3 jan4 hung1 sau2. All of the evidence proves that you are the killer.
24	破產 (n.)	po3 caan2	to go bankrupt	就算佢破產，佢老婆都冇離開佢。 zau6 syun3 keoi5 po3 caan2, keoi5 lou5 po4 dou1 mou5 lei4 hoi1 keoi5. Even when he went bankrupt, his wife still didn’t leave him.
25	手續 (n.)	sau2 zuk6	procedures	請辦理手續。 cing2 baan6 lei5 sau2 zuk6. Please handle the procedures.

5. General Advanced Words

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning	Example
1	論盡 (adj.)	leon6 zeon6	clumsy	新嚟個司機好論盡。 san1 lei4 go3 si1 gei1 hou2 leon6 zeon6. The new driver is very clumsy.
2	揦西 (adj.)	laa2 sai1	sloppy; slipshod; careless and unsystematic	要成功，一定唔可以揦西。 jiu3 sing4 gung1, jat1 ding6 m4 ho2 ji5 laa2 sai1. In order to succeed, one must not be sloppy.
3	鹹濕 (adj.)	haam4 sap1	lustful; perverted	你正一鹹濕佬！ nei5 zing3 jat1 haam4 sap1 lou2! You’re such a pervert!
4	搵笨 (v.)	wan2 ban6	to cheat; to con; to trick; to fool	你唔好搵我笨。 nei5 m4 hou2 wan2 ngo5 ban6. Don’t you fool me.
5	放飛機 (v.)	fong3 fei1 gei1	to stand somebody up; to fail to keep an appointment	你成日放人飛機，所以冇人再約你。 nei5 sing4 jat6 fong3 jan4 fei1 gei1, so2 ji5 mou5 jan4 zoi3 joek3 nei5.         You always stand people up, so no one asks you out anymore.
6	發錢寒 (v.)	faat3 cin2 hon4	to be obsessed with money	細細個就發錢寒，有冇攪錯！ sai3 sai3 go3 zau6 faat3 cin2 hon4, jau5 mou5 gaau2 co3!         So obsessed with money at this young age? That’s ridiculous!
7	眼紅 (v.)	ngaan5 hung4	to be jealous of (someone)	眼紅人哋即係對自己冇信心。 ngaan5 hung4 jan4 dei6 zik1 hai6 deoi3 zi6 gei2 mou5 seon3 sam1. Being jealous of others means that one lacks self-confidence.
8	發火 (v.)	faat3 fo2	to lose one’s temper	講起就發火！ gong2 hei2 zau6 faat3 fo2! I’m pissed off when speaking of that!
9	劈酒 (v.)	pek3 zau2	binge drinking	晚晚都去劈酒，小心你個肝呀！ maan5 maan5 dou1 heoi3 pek3 zau2, siu2 sam1 nei5 go3 gon1 aa3!         You go binge drinking every night. Take care of your liver!
10	貓咗 (adj.)	maau1 zo2	to be drunk	佢次次貓咗都會打畀前女友。 keoi5 ci3 ci3 maau1 zo2 dou1 wui5 daa2 bei2 cin4 neoi5 jau5. Every time he got drunk, he’d call his ex-girlfriend.
11	斷片 (adv.)	tyun5 pin2	blackout (after drinking too much)	我未試過飲酒飲到斷片。 ngo5 mei6 si3 gwo3 jam2 zau2 jam2 dou3 tyun5 pin2. I’ve never drunk to the point of blacking out.
12	啤一啤 (v.)	be1 jat1 be1	to have a pint of beer together	放工得唔得閒去啤一啤？ fong3 gung1 dak1 m4 dak1 haan4 heoi3 be1 jat1 be1? Free to go for a drink after work?
13	眼花 (v.)	ngaan5 faa1	to have blurry vision	人老咗，就開始眼花。 jan4 lou5 zo2, zau6 hoi1 ci5 ngaan5 faa1. As we age, we start to have blurry vision.
14	老花 (adj.)	lou5 faa1	presbyopia	老花眼鏡 lou5 faa1 ngaan5 geng2 reading glasses
15	四眼 (adj.)	sei3 ngaan5	four-eyes	唔好叫人四眼仔，冇禮貌。 m4 hou2 giu3 jan4 sei3 ngaan5 zai2, mou5 lai5 maau6.     Don’t call people four-eyes; it’s rude.
16	鬥雞 (adj.)	dau6 gai1	cross-eyed	我細個有鬥雞，不過之後做手術整返好。 ngo5 sai3 go3 jau5 dau6 gai1, bat1 gwo1 zi1 hau6 zou6 sau2 seot6 zing2 faan1 hou2. I was cross-eyed when I was younger, but it was fixed after surgery.
17	菠蘿蓋 (n.)	bo1 lo4 goi3	kneecap	菠蘿蓋後面嘅軟骨 bo1 lo4 goi3 hau6 min6 ge3 jyun5 gwat1 cartilage at the back of the kneecap
18	厚多士 (adj.)	hau5 do1 si2	nosy	阿嬸你厚多士呀 aa3 sam2 nei5 hau5 do1 si2 aa3! Ma’am, you’re so nosy!
19	蝦碌 (adj.)	haa1 luk1	clumsy; outtakes (or bloopers)	成龍最出名係佢啲蝦碌鏡頭。 sing4 lung4 zeoi3 ceot1 meng2 hai6 keoi5 di1 haa1 luk1 geng3 tau4. Jackie Chan is famous for his blooper reels.
20	食軟飯 (n.)	sik1 jyun5 faan6	an action in which a man depends on his woman for monetary support or has a sugar-mama	我勸你離開佢，佢淨係識得食軟飯。 ngo5 hyun3 nei5 lei4 hoi1 keoi5, keoi5 zing6 hai6 sik1 dak1 sik6 jyun5 faan6. I advise you to leave him; he’s only using you for financial support.
21	白鴿眼 (adj.)	baak6 gaap3 ngaan5	snobbish	邊個教到你咁白鴿眼㗎？ bin1 go3 gaau3 dou3 nei5 gam3 baak6 gaap3 ngaan5 gaa3? Who taught you to be this snobbish?
22	食死貓 (v.)	sik6 sei2 maau1	to take the blame for others’ wrongdoings	我呀姐迫我食死貓。 ngo5 aa3 ze1 bik1 ngo5 sik6 sei2 maau1.         My manager forced me to take the blame.
23	打蛇餅 (adj.)	daa2 se4 beng2	a queue that is too long, forming a zig-zag pattern	因為交通意外，巴士站度打晒蛇餅。 jan1 wai6 gaau1 tung1 ji3 ngoi6, baa1 si2 zaam6 dou6 daa2 saai3 se4 beng2.         There’s a long line at the bus stop because of the traffic accident.
24	軟皮蛇 (n.)	jyun5 pei4 se4	a lazy person unwilling to get things done	而家啲後生仔個個都軟皮蛇咁。 ji4 gaa1 di1 hau6 saang1 zai2 go3 go3 dou1 jyun5 pei4 se4 gam2.         Teenagers nowadays are lazy and don’t have motivation.
25	吹水 (v.)	ceoi1 ngau4	to boast; to brag; to talk big	佢成日都吹水，所以冇人信佢講嘅嘢。 keoi5 sing4 jat6 dou1 ceoi1 seoi2, so2 ji5 mou5 jan4 seon3 keoi5 gong2 ge3 je5. He’s always bragging, so no one believes his words anymore.
26	搶眼 (adj.)	coeng2 ngaan5	eye-catching; dazzling; attractive	佢揸住架好搶眼嘅車。 keoi5 zaa1 zyu6 gaa3 hou2 coeng2 ngaan5 ge3 ce1. He’s driving a very attractive car.
27	頭耷耷 (adj.)	tau4 dap1 dap1	head drooping; depressed	佢比賽輸咗，頭耷耷咁返屋企。 keoi5 bei2 coi3 syu1 zo2, tau4 dap1 dap1 gam2 faan1 uk1 kei2. He lost the match and went home with his head low.
28	夾手夾腳 (adv.)	gaap3 sau2 gaap3 goek3	to work together; to do something together	夾手夾腳砌埋個台，快啲收工。 gaap3 sau2 gaap3 goek3 cai3 maai4 go3 toi4, faai3 di1 sau1 gung1. Let’s finish building the stage together as soon as possible so we can get off work sooner.
29	面阻阻 (adj.)	min6 zo2 zo2	to be in conflict or acrimony (usually of two parties)	你哋成日面阻阻，影響到其他同事。 nei5 dei6 sing4 jat6 min6 zo2 zo2, jing2 hoeng2 dou2 kei4 taa1 tung4 si6. You two are always in conflict, and it negatively affects other coworkers too.
30	脆卜卜 (adj.)	ceoi3 bok1 bok1	crispy; crunchy; brittle	個蛋糕入面有啲嘢脆卜卜，咩嚟㗎？ go3 daan6 gou1 jap6 min6 jau5 di1 je5 ceoi3 bok1 bok1, me1 lai4 gaa3? There’s something crunchy inside the cake. What is it?
31	軟腍腍 (adj.)	jyun5 nam4 nam4	soft and pliable	糯米糍軟腍腍，我鍾意食。 no6 mai5 ci4 jyun5 nam4 nam4, ngo5 zung1 ji3 sik6. Glutinous rice dumplings are soft. I love it.
32	軟癩癩 (adj.)	jyun5 laai4 laai4	flaccid; lineless; powerless	唔好成日軟癩癩攤喺梳化 。 m4 hou2 sing4 jat6 jyun5 laai4 laai4 taan1 hai2 so1 faa2. Don’t flaccidly lay on the sofa all day.
33	硬繃繃 (adj.)	ngaang6 baang1 baang1	hard; tight; stubborn	佢份人硬繃繃，一啲都唔肯變通。 keoi5 fan6 jan4 ngaang6 baang1 baang1, jat1 di1 dou1 m4 hang2 bin3 tung1. He is so stubborn and refuses to adapt to the circumstances.
34	散修修 (adj.)	saan2 sau1 sau1	loose; messy	啲嘢散修修，快啲執好佢。 di1 je5 saan2 sau1 sau1, faai3 di1 zap1 hou2 keoi5. This stuff is so messy; tidy up.
35	輕飄飄 (adj.)	heng1 piu1 piu1	very light; floating	你個喼輕飄飄，冇嘢喺入面㗎？ nei5 go3 gip1 heng1 piu1 piu1, mou5 je5 hai2 jap6 min6 gaa4? Your suitcase is so light. Is it empty?
36	密質質 (adj.)	mat6 zat1 zat1	packed; cramped; dense	地鐵成日都密質質，好逼。 dei6 tit3 sing4 jat6 dou1 mat6 zat1 zat1, hou2 bik1. The subway is always so packed and crowded.
37	出貓 (v.)	ceot1 maau1	cheating (on a test)	我個仔俾人捉到考試出貓。 ngo5 go3 zai2 bei2 jan4 zuk1 dou2 haau2 si3 ceot1 maau1. My son got caught cheating on an exam.
38	出馬 (v.)	ceot1 maa5	to take the role or initiative to tackle a situation; to deal with a problem	今晚大廚出馬，實有好嘢食。 gam1 maan5 daai6 cyu2 ceot1 maa5, sat6 jau5 hou2 je5 sik6. The big chef is on duty; there’ll be some good food tonight for sure.
39	金牛 (n.)	gam1 ngau4	HK$1000 bill	假金牛 gaa2 gam1 ngau4 counterfeit HK$1000 bills
40	火牛 (n.)	fo2 ngau4	electric transformer; adapter; charger	呢個火牛係邊部機㗎？ ni1 go3 fo2 ngau4 hai6 bin1 bou6 gei1 gaa3? Which appliance is this charger for?
41	O嘴 (adv.)	ou1 zeoi2	shocked; puzzled; speechless; jaw-dropping; mouth-opening	間餐廳貴到O嘴呀！ gaan1 caan1 teng1 gwai3 dou3 O1 zeoi2 aa3! The restaurant is shockingly expensive!
42	R晒頭 (adv.)	aau1 saai3 tau4	to be totally clueless or confused; perplexed	呢本書咁深，睇到我R晒頭。 ni1 bun2 syu1 gam3 sam1, tai2 dou3 ngo5 aau1 saai3 tau4. This book is so difficult, I’m perplexed.
43	好瘀 (adj.)	hou2 jyu2	embarrassing or to be embarrassed	佢喺全校面前向佢表白，但係俾佢拒絕，好瘀呀。 keoi5 hai2 cyun4 haau6 min6 cin4 hoeng3 keoi5 biu2 baak6, daan6 hai6 bei2 keoi5 keoi5 zyut3, hou2 jyu2 aa3. He confessed his love to her in front of the whole school and got rejected. How embarrassing!
44	眼白白 (adv.)	ngaan5 baak6 baak6	helplessly; not being able to make amends	眼白白睇住佢走甩咗。 ngaan5 baak6 baak6 tai2 zyu6 keoi5 zau2 lat1 zo2. I could only (helplessly) watch him run away.
45	穿煲 (v.)	cyun1 bou1	to let a secret out; to fail in covering up something	再咁落去，一定穿煲。 zoi3 gam2 lok6 heoi3, jat1 ding6 cyun1 bou1. If it goes on like this, the secret will be out.
46	長氣 (adj.)	coeng4 hei3	talkative; mumbling	你咁長氣，我怕咗你。 nei5 gam3 coeng4 hei3, ngo5 paa3 zo2 nei5. You’re too talkative; I give up.
47	拗柴 (v.)	aau2 caai4	to twist one’s ankle	我次次著高踭鞋都拗柴。 ngo5 ci3 ci3 zoek3 gou1 zaang1 haai4 dou1 aau2 caai4. Every time I wear high heels, I twist my ankle.
48	回水 (n.)	wui4 seoi2	reimbursement; refund	啲觀眾個個喺度嗌「回水」。 di1 gun1 zung3 go3 go3 hai2 dou6 aai3 wui4 seoi2. The whole audience is yelling, “Refunds!”
49	浸過鹹水 (adj.)	zam3 gwo3 haam4 seoi2	to have lived/studied abroad	咪以為浸過鹹水就高人一等。 mai5 ji5 wai4 zam3 gwo3 haam4 seoi2 zau6 gou1 jan4 jat1 dang2. Don’t think that you’re better than others just because you’ve lived abroad.
50	掘 (v.)	gwat6	to stare in a hostile manner; to glare	佢淨係掘咗佢一眼，就冇再講嘢。 keoi5 zing6 hai6 gwat6 zo2 keoi5 jat1 ngaan5, zau6 mou5 zoi3 gong2 je5. She only glared at him, and didn’t say anything anymore.

6. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

Did you know any of these words already, or were they all new to you? Now that you’ve learned these more advanced vocabulary words, you can try writing different sentences on your own! 

→ If you want to learn more about Cantonese characters and the writing system, visit our guide on CantoneseClass101.com.

We know that learning a new language can be tiresome or even lonely, but with the right tools, you can master a language without all the struggling. With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.

Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!

And keep in mind that if you prefer a 1-on-1 learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!

Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!

In a previous article, we introduced you to the most important beginner Cantonese words for those who are new to this fantastic language. But what if you’re not a newbie anymore? No worries—we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together this guide to intermediate Cantonese words, so you can continue adding to your Cantonese vocabulary well past the beginner stage. 

Learn the intermediate words you need!

In this article, we’ll list the essential Cantonese words for the intermediate level that will allow you to handle many everyday situations, whether you want to talk, listen, or both. Keep reading!

Table of Contents

1. Numbers
2. Nouns
3. Verbs
4. Adjectives
5. Adverbs
6. Prepositions
7. Conjunctions
8. Final Particles
9. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

1. Numbers

As a beginner, you should be able to handle most situations knowing the basic numbers 1-10. But as you advance to the intermediate level, you’ll need to become familiar with even larger numbers!

→ Should you need a more thorough guide to Cantonese numbers, check out our article on how to count in Cantonese.

Here’s a quick reminder of the numbers 1-10 in Cantonese—we’ll need all of these numbers to count up to 1,000!

➢ 1: 一 (jat1)
➢ 2: 二 (ji6)
➢ 3: 三 (saam1)
➢ 4: 四 (sei3)
➢ 5: 五 (ng5)
➢ 6: 六 (luk6)
➢ 7: 七 (cat1)
➢ 8: 八 (baat3)
➢ 9: 九 (gau2)
➢ 10: 十 (sap6)

• Count from 10 to 99

Now, if you want to express the tens (twenty, thirty, and so on), all you need to do is add the Cantonese equivalent of the first digit in front of 十 (sap6). 

Take 20, for example. The Cantonese equivalent of the first digit (“2”) is 二 (ji6). Adding 二 (ji6) in front of 十 (sap6) gives us 二十 (ji6 sap6) for 20.

➢ 10: 十 (sap6)
➢ 20: 二十 (ji6 sap6)
➢ 30: 三十 (saam1 sap6)
➢ 40: 四十 (sei3 sap6)
➢ 50: 五十 (ng5 sap6)
➢ 60: 六十 (luk6 sap6)
➢ 70: 七十 (cat1 sap6)
➢ 80: 八十 (baat3 sap6)
➢ 90: 九十 (gau2 sap6)

Expressing the numbers from 11 to 99 in Cantonese is easy and similar to English. 

For example:

• 11 = 10 + 1 ➨ 十 (sap6) + 一 (jat1)
• 21 = 20 + 1 ➨ 二十 (ji6 sap6) + 一 (jat1)

As you can see, you only need to know the name of the appropriate “ten” in Cantonese and then add one of the numbers from 1-9 after it. 

➢ 11: 十一 (sap6 jat1)
➢ 22: 二十二 (ji6 sap6 ji6)
➢ 33: 三十三 (saam1 sap6 saam1)
➢ 44: 四十四 (sei3 sap6 sei3)
➢ 55: 五十五 (ng5 sap6 ng5)
➢ 66: 六十六 (luk6 sap6 luk6)
➢ 77: 七十七 (cat1 sap6 cat1)
➢ 88: 八十八 (baat3 sap6 baat3)
➢ 99: 九十九 (gau2 sap6 gau2)

• Count from 100 to 1,000

百 (baak3) is equivalent to “hundred” in English. If you want to express 100, 200, and so on, just add the Cantonese equivalent of the first digit in front of 百 (baak3). 

Take 200, for example. The Cantonese equivalent of the first digit (“2”) is 二 (ji6). Adding 二 (ji6) in front of 百 (baak3) gives us 二百  (ji6 baak3) for 200.

When the number reaches a thousand, we use 千 (cin1) in place of 百 (baak3). As such, 一千 (jat1 cin1) is 1000.

Counting by hundreds, here are the Cantonese numbers from 100 to 1,000:

➢ 100: 一百 (jat1 baak3)
➢ 200: 二百 (ji6 baak3)
➢ 300: 三百 (saam1 baak3)
➢ 400: 四百 (sei3 baak3)
➢ 500: 五百 (ng5 baak3)
➢ 600: 六百 (luk6 baak3)
➢ 700: 七百 (cat1 baak3)
➢ 800: 八百 (baat3 baak3)
➢ 900: 九百 (gau2 baak3)
➢ 1,000: 一千 (jat1 cin1)

Again, expressing 101 up to 999 in Cantonese is simple and similar to English. 

For example, if you wanted to express 121, you would just need to combine “100” (一百 [jat1 baak3]) and “21” (二十一 [ji6 sap6 jat1]). This would give you 一百二十一 (jat1 baak3 ji6 sap6 jat1). 

Note that if the second digit of a three-digit number is “0,” we need to add a zero 零 (ling4) in the corresponding position. Do not pronounce the ending zeros in 200 (二百 [ji6 baak3]) but do pronounce them in 201 (二百 [ji6 baak3 ling4 jat1]), for example. 

Let’s look at the Cantonese number for 207 to dissect this a little bit: 

• “200” 二百 (ji6 baak3) + “0” 零 (ling4) + “7” 七 (cat1)

Hence, 207 reads as 二百零七 (ji6 baak3 ling4 cat1).

When you encounter longer numbers in the future, no matter how many consecutive zeros you see, you’ll only need to say “zero” once to represent a row of zeros. For example, 3,047 reads as 三千零四十八 (saam1 cin1 ling4 sei3 sap6 baat3).

Here are some more examples of triple-digit Cantonese numbers: 

➢ 108: 一百零八 (jat1 baak3 ling4 baat3)
➢ 166: 一百六十六 (jat1 baak3 luk6 sap6 luk6)
➢ 230: 二百三十 (ji6 baak3 saam1 sap6)
➢ 344: 三百四十四 (saam1 baak3 sei3 sap6 sei3)
➢ 456: 四百五十六 (sei3 baak3 ng5 sap6 luk6)
➢ 550: 五百五十 (ng5 baak3 ng5 sap6)
➢ 612: 六百一十二 (luk6 baak3 jat1 sap6 ji6)
➢ 722: 七百二十二 (cat1 baak3 ji6 sap6 ji6)
➢ 805: 八百零五 (baat3 baak3 ling4 ng5)
➢ 910: 九百一十 (gau2 baak3 jat1 sap6)

2. Nouns

Nouns are vital in our everyday conversations. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to communicate effectively or talk about people, objects, places, or ideas.

In our guide to beginner words, we covered survival nouns like those for places around town, people, and food. Now let’s put more nouns in your pocket, ranging in topic from technology to hobbies!

• Technology – 科技 (fo1 gei6)

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	互聯網	wu6 lyun4 mong5	“internet”
2	搜尋	sau2 cam4	“search”
3	下載	haa6 zoi3	“download”
4	上載	soeng6 zoi3	“upload”
5	網頁	mong5 jip6	“webpage”
6	社交媒體	se5 gaau1 mui4 tai2	“social media”
7	電子郵件	din6 zi2 jau4 gin2	“email”
8	電腦	din6 nou5	“computer”
9	手機	sau2 gei1	“mobile phone”
10	叉電器	caa1 din6 hei3	“charger”

• Appliances – 電器 (din6 hei3)

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	微波爐	mei4 bo1 lou4	“microwave oven”
2	吸塵機	kap1 can4 gei1	“vacuum cleaner”
3	雪櫃	syut3 gwai6	“refrigerator”
4	風扇	fung1 sin3	“fan”
5	爐頭	lou4 tau4	“stove”
6	電視	din6 si6	“TV”
7	氣炸鍋	hei3 zaa3 wo1	“air fryer”
8	洗衣機	sai2 ji1 gei1	“washing machine”
9	冷氣機	laang5 hei3 gei1	“air conditioner”
10	風筒	fung1 tung2	“hair dryer”

• Transportation – 交通 (gaau1 tung1)

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	飛機	fei1 gei1	“airplane”
2	地鐵	dei6 tit3	“subway”
3	小巴	siu2 baa1	“minibus”
4	巴士	baa1 si2	“bus”
5	渡輪	dou6 leon4	“ferry”
6	電車	din6 ce1	“tram”
7	的士	dik1 si2	“taxi”
8	巴士站	baa1 si2 zaam6	“bus stop”
9	機場	gei1 ceong4	“airport”
10	車費	ce1 fai3	(taxi/tram/bus/carriers with wheels) “fare”

• Hobbies – 興趣 (hing3 ceoi3)

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	書法	syu1 faat3	“calligraphy”
2	結他	git3 taa1	“guitar”
3	鋼琴	gong3 kam4	“piano”
4	喇叭	laa3 baa1	“trumpet”
5	小提琴	siu2 tai4 kam4	“violin”
6	音樂	jam1 ngok6	“music”
7	搖滾音樂	jiu4 gwan2 jam1 ngok6	“rock music”
8	攝影	sip3 jing2	“photography”
9	棋	kei2	“chess”
10	閱讀	jyut6 duk6	“reading”

• Weather – 天氣 (tin1 hei3)

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	温度	wan1 dou6	“temperature”
2	濕度	sap1 dou6	“humidity”
3	颱風	toi4 fung1	“typhoon”
4	風	fung1	“wind”
5	落雨	lok6 jyu5	“rain”
6	行雷	hang4 leoi4	“thunder”
7	閃電	sim2 din6	“lightning”
8	攝氏 [number] 度	sip3 si6 [num] dou6	“[number] degrees Celsius”
9	落雪	syut3	“snow”
10	彩虹	coi2 hung4	“rainbow”
11	太陽	taai3 joeng4	“sun”

• Dining – 用膳 (jung6 sin6)

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	貼士	tip1 si2	“tip”
2	侍應	si6 jing3	“waitress” / “waiter”
3	晚餐	maan5 caan1	“dinner”
4	中菜	zung1 coi3	“Chinese food“
5	筷子	faai3 zi2	“chopsticks”
6	餐單	caan1 daan1	“menu”
7	帳單	zoeng3 daan1	“bill”
8	水	seoi2	“water”
9	匙羹	ci4 gang1	“spoon”
10	刀	dou1	“knife”
11	叉	caa1	“fork”
12	信用卡	seon3 jung6 kaat1	“credit card”

3. Verbs

Here are some useful Cantonese verbs for you to learn as an intermediate student. Practicing these words will help you better express yourself and ensure you always have just the right action word at hand.

• Common Verbs

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	詛咒	zo3 zau3	“to curse”
2	閂	saan1	“to close”
3	醒	seng2	“to wake up”
4	返	faan2	“to return”
5	搵	wan2	“to find”
6	坐	co5	“to sit”
7	參加	caam1 gaa1	“to participate”
8	喊	haam3	“to cry”
9	整	zing2	“to make”
10	呃	aak1	“to deceive”
11	憎	zang1	“to hate”
12	怕	paa3	“to fear”

• Helping Verbs

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	有	jau5	“to have”
2	冇	mou5	“to not have”
3	識	sik1	“to know” (can)
4	要	jiu3	“to need”
5	想	soeng2	“to want”
6	做	zou6	“to do”
7	應該	jing1 goi1	“should”
8	肯	hang2	“to be willing to”
9	可以	ho2 yi5	“can”

• Linking Verbs

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	係	hai6	“to be”
2	唔係	m4 hai6	“not to be”

4. Adjectives

Adjectives are important in everyday language. They allow you to do everything from describing how pretty the girl sitting next to you is to expressing how spectacular you find the scenery. Below, you’ll find all the intermediate Cantonese adjectives you need to spice up your conversations or enrich your writing.

• Describing Colors

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	黑色	hak1 sik1	“black”
2	藍色	laam4 sik1	“blue”
3	灰色	fui1 sik1	“gray”
4	綠色	luk6 sik1	“green”
5	橙色	caang2 sik1	“orange”
6	紫色	zi2 sik1	“purple”
7	紅色	hung4 sik1	“red”
8	青色	ceng1 sik1	“cyan-blue”
9	米色	mai5 sik1	“beige”
10	粉紅色	fan2 hung4 sik1	“pink”
11	白色	baak6 sik1	“white”
12	黃色	wong4 sik1	“yellow”
13	啡色	fe1 sik1	“brown”

• Describing Values and Conditions

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	錯	co3	“wrong”
2	啱	ngaam	“right” / “correct”
3	好	hou2	“good”
4	差	caa1	“bad” / “poor”
5	難	naan4	“difficult”
6	易	ji6	“easy”
7	新	san1	“new”
8	舊	gau6	“old”
9	平	peng4	“cheap”
10	貴	gwai3	“expensive”
11	後生	hau6 saang1	“young”
12	老	lou5	“old”
13	快	faai3	“fast”
14	慢	maan6	“slow”
15	有用	jau5 jung6	“useful”
16	冇用	mou5 jung6	“useless”
17	壞	waai6	“bad” / “rotten”
18	乾淨	gon1 zeng6	“clean”
19	污糟	wu1 zou1	“dirty”
20	嘈	cou4	“noisy”
21	靜	zing6	“quiet”
22	弱	joek6	“weak”
23	強壯	koeng4 zong3	“strong” (physically)
24	空	hung1	“empty”

5. Adverbs

Verbs, nouns, and adjectives are essential for beginners, but as you advance to the intermediate level, it’s time to learn some adverbs too!

• Describing Time

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	已經	ji5 ging1	“already”
2	馬上	maa5 seong6	“immediately”
3	最近	zeoi3 gan6	“lately”
4	上星期	soeng6 sing1 kei4	“last week”
5	下星期	haa6 sing1 kei4	“next week”
6	而家	ji4 gaa1	“now”
7	好快	hou2 faai3	“soon”
8	仍然	jing4 jin4	“still”
9	今朝早	gam1 ziu1 zou2	“this morning”
10	今日	gam1 jat6	“today”
11	聽日	ting1 jat6	“tomorrow”
12	今晚	gam1 maam5	“tonight”
13	噚日	cam4 jat6	“yesterday”
14	仲未	zung6 mei6	“yet”
15	遲啲	ci4 di1	“later”
16	近排	gan6 paai2	“recently”
17	本來	bun2 loi4	“originally”
18	曾經	cang4 ging1	“at once”
19	初初	co1 co1	“in the beginning”
20	嗰陣時	go2 zan6 si6	“at that time”
21	前嗰排	cin4 go2 paai2	“a while ago”
22	暫時	zaam6 si4	“temporarily”
23	到時	dou3 si4	“then” (future)
24	前日	cin4 jat6	“the day before”
25	後日	hau6 jat6	“the day after”

• Describing Frequency

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	成日	seng4 jat6	“always” / “all the time”
2	永遠唔會	wing5 jyun5 m4 wui5	“never”
3	好少	hou2 siu2	“rarely”
4	有時	jau5 si4	“sometimes”
5	密密	mat6 mat6	“frequently”
6	平時	ping4 si4	“usually”
7	間中	gaan3 zung1	“occasionally”
8	唔常	m4 soeng4	“seldom”
9	再	zoi3	“again”
10	每	mui5	“every”

• Describing Degree

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	一啲	jat1 di1	“a bit”
2	好多	hou2 do1	“a lot”
3	夠	gau3	“enough”
4	太	tai3	“too” / “excessively”
5	唔係太	m4 hai6 tai3	“not too”
6	淨係	zing6 hai6	“only”
7	得	dak1	“only…left”
8	特別	dak6 bit6	“exceptionally”
9	零舍	ling4 se3	“particularly”
10	超	ciu1	“super”

6. Prepositions

For intermediate-level language learners, it’s vital to begin constructing more comprehensive sentences! Therefore, we have included a list of prepositions below:

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	喺…前面	hai2…cin4 min6	“in front of”
2	喺…後面	hai2…hau6 min6	“behind”
3	喺…上面	hai2…soeng6 min6	“on top of”
4	喺…下面	hai2…haa6 min6	“under”
5	外面	ngoi6 min6	“outside”
6	入面	jap6 min6	“inside”
7	之前	zi1 cin4	“before”
8	之後	zi1 hau6	“after”
9	直至	zik6 zi3	“until”
10	喺	hai2	“at” / “in”

7. Conjunctions

There’s lots to say and explain when it comes to Cantonese conjunctions. But luckily, you don’t need to use many of them when you first start learning Cantonese.

→ We recommend also having a look at our complete guide to Cantonese conjunctions. You’ll learn everything about how to connect phrases, express conditions and consequences, and much more.

• Coordinating Conjunctions

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	跟	gan1	“and” (more formal)
2	與	jyu5	“and” (more formal)
3	及	kap6	“and” (more formal)
4	共	gung6	“and” (more formal)
5	同	tung4	“and”
6	或	waak6	“or”
7	還是	waan4 si6	“or” (more formal)

• Subordinating Conjunctions / Adverbial Conjunctions

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	由於	jau4 jyu1	“since”
2	所以	so2 yi5	“so”
3	因此	jan1 ci2	“therefore” (more serious)
4	故此	gu3 ci2	“thereby” (more formal)

• Correlative Conjunctions / Adverbial Conjunctions

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	不但	bat1 daan6	“not only (…but also)” (more formal)
2	唔單止	m4 daan1 zi2	“not only”
3	況且	fong3 ce2	“additionally” / “not to mention”

8. Final Particles

In Cantonese, we have a special type of word called a “final particle.” Final particles themselves are meaningless, but when placed at the end of a sentence, they indicate the mood or attitude of the speaker. Using them also makes one’s speech more colloquial.

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Function
1	喎	wo3	Indicates surprise or disagreement
2	啩	gwaa3	Indicates assumption or uncertainty
3	啫	ze1	Indicates sarcasm; “only”
4	㗎喇	gaa3 laa3	Indicates an exclamation with an emphasis on the past; “already”
5	啦嘛	laa1 maa3	Indicates certainty (“of course”); used in questions to confirm a situation
6	先	sin1	Indicates something new; “first”
7	添	tim1	Indicates surprise due to unexpected changes; emphasizes an additional thing being mentioned
8	咋	zaa3	Indicates disapproval; “just”
9	之嘛	zi1 maa3	“only”
10	呀吓	aa4 haa2	Indicates disapproval, surprise, or discontentment
11	未	mei6	Used in neutral questions to inquire about whether an action has been taken or not
12	咩	me1	Indicates surprise or disbelief in question form
13	呢	ne1	Used in questions to soften the tone when inquiring about facts
14	嘛	maa3	Used in questions to soften the tone when inquiring about actions

→ Intrigued by how useful these “meaningless” final particles can be? Check out our complete guide to Cantonese final particles to learn more!

9. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

Did you know any of these words already, or were they all new to you? Now that you’ve learned some more advanced vocabulary, you can try and write different sentences on your own! 

→ If you want to learn more about Cantonese characters and the writing system, visit our guide on CantoneseClass101.com.

If you’re ready to move on to the next level of Cantonese after learning these intermediate Cantonese words, try out CantoneseClass101.com. With us, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.

Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!

And keep in mind that if you prefer a 1-on-1 learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!

Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!

What’s your favorite animal? Do you have any pets? 

Questions like these make great conversation starters. Animals are a topic of interest for many people, and we sure do love our pets! What better way to break the ice and get to know someone than by asking about their favorite furry, scaly, or feathery creatures?

Fancy putting some Cantonese animal words in your pocket? In this article, you’ll learn many animal names in Cantonese for different categories: pets, farm animals, wild beasts, sea creatures, birds, and all sorts of tiny bugs. We’ll spice it up with some animal proverbs and the “Twelve Zodiac Animals” story. Read on!

Table of Contents

1. At Home (Pets)
2. On the Farm (Farm Animals)
3. In the Wild / Forest / Safari (Land Animals)
4. In the Ocean (Aquatic / Marine Animals)
5. Bugs and Insects
6. Birds, Reptiles & Amphibians
7. Animal Body Parts
8. Animal Proverbs
9. Bonus: The Twelve Zodiac Animals
10. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

1. At Home (Pets)

Compared to the rest of the world, Hong Kong is home to very few pets. According to a global survey, 64% of Hongkongers do not own pets—this makes Hong Kong the country with the second-highest rate of non-pet owners among the 22 countries surveyed. Among those who do own pets, dogs and fish are the most common, with each one accounting for 14% of all pets in Hong Kong. And from my own (unscientific) observation, I spotted approximately ten dogs walking along the street while writing this article.

With this in mind, let me introduce you to the Cantonese words for “dog,” “goldfish,” and several other less popular pets.

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	狗	gau2	dog
2	金魚	gam1 jyu2	goldfish
3	貓	maau1	cat
4	倉鼠	cong1 syu2	hamster
5	兔仔	tou3 zai2	rabbit
6	鸚鵡	jing1 mou5	parrot
7	天竺鼠	tin1 zuk1 syu2	guinea pig
8	刺蝟	ci3 wai6	hedgehog

2. On the Farm (Farm Animals)

As one of the most densely populated cities on Earth, farming in Hong Kong has long been considered a sunset industry. Most Hongkongers opt for the bustling city life and dedicate themselves to other industries like Business and Finance. At the same time, the amount of agricultural land has been dwindling. As a result, we rely heavily on imports.

Below, you’ll find the names of several animals in Cantonese that you might find on a farm.

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	馬	maa5	horse
2	雞	gai1	chicken
3	火雞	fo2 gai1	turkey
4	綿羊	min4 joeng2	sheep / lamb
5	母牛	mou5 ngau4	cow
6	豬	zyu1	pig
7	鴨	aap3	duck
8	鵝	ngo2	goose
9	驢	lou4	donkey
10	山羊	saan1 joeng4	goat

→ To learn more Cantonese words and practice your pronunciation, why not stop by our vocabulary lesson Farm Animals on CantoneseClass101.com?

3. In the Wild / Forest / Safari (Land Animals)

Hong Kong does not have many wild animals, nor does it have a forest—but it’s still worthwhile to learn some land animal names in Cantonese so that you can use them in conversations or understand them in documentaries!

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	長頸鹿	coeng4 geng2 luk2	giraffe
2	象	zoeng6	elephant
3	狼	long4	wolf
4	獅子	si1 zi2	lion
5	老虎	lou5 fu2	tiger
6	箭豬	zin3 zyu1	porcupine
7	熊	hung4	bear
8	大灰熊	daai6 fui1 hung4	grizzly bear
9	北極熊	bak1 gik6 hung4	polar bear
10	樹熊	syu6 hung4	koala
11	熊貓	hung4 maau1	panda
12	鹿	luk2	deer
13	大鹿	daai6 luk2	moose
14	馴鹿	seon4 luk2	reindeer
15	松鼠	cung4 syu2	squirrel
16	袋鼠	doi6 syu2	kangaroo
17	臭鼬	cau3 jau6	skunk
18	花栗鼠	faa1 leot6 syu2	chipmunk
19	浣熊	wun2 hung4	raccoon
20	馬騮	maa5 nau1	monkey
21	大猩猩	daai6 sing1 sing1	gorilla
22	黑猩猩	haak1 sing1 sing1	chimpanzee
23	花豹	faa1 paau3	leopard
24	豹	paau3	panther
25	獵豹	lip6 paau3	cheetah
26	捷豹	zit6 paau3	jaguar
27	斑馬	baan1 maa5	zebra
28	河馬	ho4 maa5	hippopotamus
29	犀牛	sai1 ngau4	rhinoceros
30	蝙蝠	pin1 fuk1	bat

4. In the Ocean (Aquatic / Marine Animals)

Did you know that Hong Kong is surrounded by sea? One of the most picturesque tourist spots in Hong Kong is Victoria Harbour! Hong Kong is also famous for its abundance of seafood (and thus, seafood restaurants).

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	蟹	haai5	crab
2	魚	jyu2	fish
3	龍蝦	lung4 haa1	lobster
4	海狗	hoi2 gau2	seal
5	水母	seoi2 mou5	jellyfish
6	海豚	hoi2 tyun4	dolphin
7	鯨魚	king4 jyu4	whale
8	魷魚	jau4 jyu2	squid
9	鯊魚	saa1 jyu2	shark
10	八爪魚	baat3 zaau2 jyu4	octopus
11	海獅	hoi2 si1	sealion
12	海象	hoi2 zoeng6	walrus
13	海獺	hoi2 caat3	sea otter
14	海膽	hoi2 daam2	sea urchin
15	河豚	ho4 tyun4	puffer fish
16	鱔	sin5	eel

→ To practice your pronunciation, why not stop by our vocabulary list Marine Animals and Fish on CantoneseClass101.com?

5. Bugs and Insects

The smothering humidity in Hong Kong is beloved by bugs and insects—especially mosquitoes. Check out the table below for the Cantonese names of common bugs and insects in Hong Kong.

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	甲蟲	gaap3 cung4	ladybug
2	蜻蜓	cing1 ting4	dragonfly
3	蝴蝶	wu4 dip2	butterfly
4	蜜蜂	mat6 fung1	bee
5	螞蟻	maa5 ngai5	ant
6	蜘蛛	zi1 zyu1	spider
7	烏蠅	wu1 ying1	fly
8	蚊	man1	mosquito
9	黃蜂	wong4 fung1	wasp
10	毛蟲	mou4 cung4	caterpillar

6. Birds, Reptiles & Amphibians

According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of Hong Kong, the most common birds in Hong Kong’s urban areas are: 

• Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• Oriental Magpie Robin
• Eurasian Magpie
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Red-whiskered Bulbul

In wetlands, you’ll commonly find the White-throated Kingfisher and Little Egret.

Here, we’ve listed the more common vocabulary words for birds, reptiles, amphibians, and similar animals to get you started:

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	雀	zoek3	bird
2	烏鴉	wu1 aa1	crow / raven
3	白鴿	bat6 gap2	dove
4	麻雀	maa4 zoek2	sparrow
5	鷹	jing1	eagle
6	貓頭鷹	maau1 tau4 jing1	owl
7	鸚鵡	jing1 mou5	parrot
8	海鷗	hoi2 au1	seagull
9	企鵝	kei5 ngo2	penguin
10	蝸牛	wo1 ngau4	snail
11	青蛙	cing1 waa1	frog
12	蛇	se4	snake
13	鱷魚	ngok6 jyu4	crocodile / alligator
14	烏龜	wu1 gwai1	turtle

7. Animal Body Parts

Now that you know the names of several animals in Cantonese, you’ll benefit from learning what to call their most defining body parts. Here, we’ve listed ten common Cantonese words for you.

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	觸角	zuk1 gok3	antenna
2	喙	fui3	beak
3	爪	zaau2	claw / paw
4	羽毛	jyu5 mou4	feather
5	角	gok3	horn
6	毛	mou4	fur
7	鱗	leon4	scale
8	尾巴	mei5 baa1	tail
9	觸鬚	zuk1 sou1	tentacle
10	翅膀	ci3 pong4	wing

→ Want to learn more animal-related words? See our vocabulary list Sounds That Animals Make!

8. Animal Proverbs

There are so many Cantonese animal proverbs! Below are our top five picks:

1 – 豬乸會上樹

Romanization: zyu1 naa2 wui5 soeng5 syu6
Literal Translation: “A sow (a female pig) can climb trees”

More about the proverb – 

• Meaning / Equivalent Proverb: “When pigs fly”
• Example Scenario: When Martin is really bad at math, but he claims that he will get full marks on the upcoming calculus exam, you might reply with this phrase.

2 – 掛羊頭賣狗肉

Romanization: gwaa3 joeng4 tau4 maai6 gau2 juk6
Literal Translation: “Hang up a sheep’s head and sell dog meat”

More about the proverb – 

• Meaning / Equivalent Proverb: “Palm off”
• Example Scenario: When Lucy claims that the designer bags she is selling are real (but they are indeed fake), you may say this phrase.
• Additional notes: Hong Kong prohibits the slaughter of dogs or cats for the use of food. You won’t actually find shops selling dog meat!

3 – 大石砸死蟹

Romanization: daai6 sek6 zaak6 sei2 haai5
Literal Translation: “A big rock weighs down on a crab”

More about the proverb – 

• Meaning / Equivalent Proverb: Overpowered by an overwhelming force
• Example Scenario: Imagine your boss asks you to perform a task that’s totally out of your job description, and you have to do it because of his dominating power in the workplace. You may express your frustration with this phrase.

4 – 牛唔飲水唔撳得牛頭低

Romanization: ngau4 m4 jam2 seoi2 m4 gam6 dak1 ngau4 tau4 dai1
Literal Translation: “If a cow doesn’t want to drink, you can’t force its head down.”

More about the proverb – 

• Meaning / Equivalent Proverb: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” It implies that one should take full responsibility for his or her own actions.
• Example Scenario: Imagine that Christy enters a relationship with a guy whom she knows is in love with someone else, and then she claims to be the victim when she gets hurt. In this situation, you could say this phrase. 

5 – 老貓燒鬚

Romanization: lou5 maau1 siu1 sou1
Literal Translation: “An old cat burns its whiskers.”

More about the proverb – 

• Meaning / Equivalent Proverb: We use this expression in reference to an expert who makes a careless mistake in their area of expertise.
• Example Scenario: Let’s say that Rick makes a silly grammatical mistake when he is giving an English lesson. If you catch the mistake, you might say this phrase in response. 

9. Bonus: The Twelve Zodiac Animals

Unlike the Western zodiac, which takes twelve months to cycle through the constellation signs, the Chinese zodiac cycle is twelve years long and assigns an animal to each year. 

According to legend, the Jade Emperor held a race for the animals. He declared that the calendar years would be named for each animal in the order they arrived at the goal.

This race involved a river crossing, and the ox almost won since it was the strongest swimmer. However, it came in second because the rat, who had secretly jumped onto the ox’s back to be carried across the river, leaped out ahead of him. Next came the tiger, the rabbit, and the dragon. The horse should have come next, but the snake hidden in its hoof jumped out and scared him after they had crossed the river, so the snake managed to finish before the horse. The goat, monkey, and rooster made their way across by working together and finished at the same time. The dog could have finished earlier, but stopped to frolic and bathe in the water. The pig had stopped to rest halfway through, and thus came in last.

With that, our 12-year cycle is as follows:

#	Chinese Characters	Romanization	Meaning
1	鼠	syu2	rat
2	牛	ngau4	ox / cow
3	虎	fu2	tiger
4	兔	tou3	rabbit
5	龍	lung4	dragon
6	蛇	se4	snake
7	馬	maa5	horse
8	羊	joeng4	sheep
9	猴	hau4	monkey
10	雞	gai1	rooster
11	狗	gau2	dog
12	豬	zyu1	pig

10. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese

What’s your favorite animal? Do you remember its name in Cantonese? 

At this stage in your learning journey, you should focus on continuing to build your vocabulary and starting to familiarize yourself with key grammar points. 

With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.

Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community where you can discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!

And keep in mind that if you prefer a 1-on-1 learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher service.

Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!