HKDictionary

Cantonese Greetings

Greetings are the first thing you need in Cantonese. From 你好 (nei5 hou2, hello) to 早晨 (zou2 san4, good morning), these are the phrases Hongkongers actually use every day. Tap any word to hear the pronunciation and see example sentences with Jyutping.

neiˏ₅你houˊ²好
hello; hi; how are you; greetings
zouˊ²早sanˎ₄晨
(Std. Chin.) morning | Cant.: 朝早 | Synon.: 早上; 上午
neiˏ₅你houˊ²好maa˗₃嗎
How are you?
mˎ₄唔goiˉ¹該
thank you (generally used for favours or services; use 多謝 instead for tangible objects) [華]: 謝謝
zoi˗₃再gin˗₃見
eg: "下星期再見" - see you next week

Make these words stick

Practice with spaced-repetition flashcards or follow our free structured Cantonese course.

Practice FlashcardsStart Learning Cantonese

More Cantonese Word Lists

Count to 10 in CantoneseOrder Dim Sum in CantoneseFamily Members in CantoneseCantonese Slang Locals UseColors in CantoneseBe Polite in CantoneseRomantic Cantonese PhrasesAsk for Directions in CantoneseHong Kong Café Orders in CantoneseCantonese Question WordsExpress Feelings in CantoneseGo Shopping in CantoneseTalk About the Weather in CantoneseTalk About Time in CantoneseChinese New Year Greetings