「Cantonese」主要指與中國廣東省相關的語言及人群。
語言
EN: the Chinese language spoken in Guangdong province and Hong Kong.
翻譯: 指在中國廣東省及香港等地使用的漢語方言。
人群
EN: a person from Guangdong or the surrounding region.
翻譯: 指來自廣東或周邊地區的人。
文化與料理
EN: things related to the culture or cuisine of Guangdong.
翻譯: 指與廣東文化或粵菜相關的事物。
小提醒：注意：在中文語境中，提到「廣東話」時，通常僅指語言本身，而非指人或文化。
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Cantonese" from YouTube Videos
Wade Davis: Cultures at the far edge of the world
TED
“And I say "Great, let's make that language Yoruba, Let's make it Cantonese, Let's make it Kogi".”
1. a variety of Chinese spoken in Guangdong province, Hong Kong, Macau, and by overseas communities
主要在中國廣東省、香港、澳門及海外華人社區使用的一種漢語方言
Cantonese is the primary language spoken in Hong Kong.
粵語是香港的主要語言。
My grandmother speaks fluent Cantonese.
我的祖母能說一口流利的粵語。
2. a native or inhabitant of Guangdong province or the broader Cantonese-speaking region
廣東省或更廣泛粵語地區的本地人或居民
Many Cantonese have emigrated to North America over the past century.
過去一個世紀以來，許多廣東人移民到了北美。
As a Cantonese, he grew up eating dim sum every weekend.
作為一個廣東人，他從小每個週末都吃點心。
3. the culture, cuisine, or customs associated with the Cantonese-speaking people
與粵語族群相關的文化、美食或習俗
Cantonese cuisine is famous for its dim sum and roasted meats.
粵菜以其點心和燒臘聞名。
The festival showcases traditional Cantonese opera and music.
這個節慶展示了傳統的粵劇和音樂。
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cantonese | 粵語（一種語言） | Cantonese is widely spoken in Hong Kong and Guangdong. (粵語在香港和廣東被廣泛使用。) |
| speak Cantonese | 說粵語 | She can speak Cantonese fluently. (她能說一口流利的粵語。) |
| learn Cantonese | 學習粵語 | He decided to learn Cantonese to communicate with his grandparents. (他決定學習粵語以便與祖父母溝通。) |
| in Cantonese | 用粵語 | The announcement was made in Cantonese. (這則公告是用粵語發佈的。) |
| a Cantonese speaker | 一位說粵語的人 | As a Cantonese speaker, she finds some Mandarin tones challenging. (作為一位說粵語的人，她覺得一些普通話的聲調很有挑戰性。) |
EN:The grammar structure of the Cantonese language is quite different from Mandarin.
翻譯:粵語的語法結構和普通話相當不同。
在正式寫作或強調語言屬性時，建議使用 "the Cantonese language"，日常對話中單用 "Cantonese" 即可。
cantonese vs mandarin
「Cantonese」專指粵語，主要在廣東、香港、澳門及海外華人社區使用；「Mandarin」則指現代標準漢語（普通話/國語），是中國的官方語言。兩者為不同的漢語分支，發音、詞彙及語法均有顯著差異。
cantonese vs chinese
「Cantonese」是「Chinese」（漢語）旗下的一個具體分支（粵語）。「Chinese」作為語言統稱時，可包含普通話、粵語、閩南語等多種變體。在非精確語境下，「Chinese」常被默認為指「Mandarin」（普通話）。
cantonese vs dialect
「Cantonese」是一個具體的語言名稱（粵語）。「Dialect」是一個泛稱，指方言或語言變體。將 Cantonese 稱為一種「Chinese dialect」是常見但不精確的說法，從語言學角度看，粵語與普通話的差異已達「語言」層級。
在對話中，當引述或提及他人所說的特定語言或方言時，常用此詞。 EN: She said she's been learning Cantonese for two years now. 翻譯: 她說她學廣東話已經兩年了。
EN:My friend told me, "Cantonese is really melodic but the tones are tough."
翻譯:我朋友告訴我：「廣東話很好聽，但聲調很難。」
用於強調所討論的語言是「廣東話」而非其他語言（如普通話），以澄清或凸顯對比。 EN: No, I mean the Cantonese version of that song, not the Mandarin one. 翻譯: 不，我是指那首歌的廣東話版本，不是國語的。
EN:It's specifically a Cantonese slang term; you won't hear it in other dialects.
翻譯:這是一個廣東話特有的俚語，你在其他方言裡不會聽到。
在組織思緒或短暫停頓時，有時會插入此詞作為填充語，尤其在語言學習或文化討論的語境中。 EN: So, for the dialogue... Cantonese... how would you say "thank you" politely? 翻譯: 那麼，關於這段對話…廣東話…「謝謝」禮貌的說法怎麼講？
EN:The culture there, you know, Cantonese... it has a really rich culinary tradition.
翻譯:那裏的文化，你知道的，廣東話…它有非常豐富的飲食傳統。
正式寫作注意：在學術論文、正式報告或官方文件中，應避免將「Cantonese」用作口語中的停頓填充詞。建議使用更精確、正式的表述，例如「the Cantonese language」、「Cantonese dialect」或直接使用其學術名稱「Yue Chinese」。
Cantonese dialect
noun phrase
粵語方言
speak Cantonese
verb + noun
說粵語
learn Cantonese
verb + noun
學習粵語
Cantonese cuisine
noun phrase
粵菜
Cantonese-speaking
adjective
說粵語的
fluent in Cantonese
adjective phrase
粵語流利
Cantonese pop music
noun phrase
粵語流行音樂
native Cantonese speaker
noun phrase
粵語母語者
×I speak Cantonese language.
✓I speak Cantonese.
The word "Cantonese" already means the language, so adding "language" is redundant. This is similar to saying "I speak English language" instead of "I speak English."
×I am a Cantonese.
✓I am Cantonese. / I am a Cantonese speaker.
When referring to a person, "Cantonese" is an adjective (e.g., Cantonese people). Using it as a countable noun ("a Cantonese") is often considered awkward or incorrect. Use "Cantonese" as an adjective or specify "speaker."
×I speak Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese.
✓I speak Cantonese and Mandarin.
While "Mandarin Chinese" is grammatically correct, it's more natural and common in English to simply say "Mandarin" when paired with "Cantonese," as both are understood as Chinese languages. Adding "Chinese" is redundant in this context.
×Cantonese are spoken in Guangdong.
✓Cantonese is spoken in Guangdong.
"Cantonese" as a language name is a singular, uncountable noun and requires a singular verb (is). Using a plural verb (are) is incorrect.
×I can speak the Cantonese.
✓I can speak Cantonese.
Language names generally do not take the definite article "the" (except in constructions like "the Cantonese language"). This is a common error influenced by some other languages' grammar rules.