adj
Cantonese
kan-tuh-NEEZ
Cantonese (adj) means relating to the city of Guangzhou (historically called Canton), its people, language, or cuisine. Example: “The restaurant specializes in Cantonese dim sum.”
adj
1
Relating to the city of Guangzhou (historically called Canton), its people, language, or cuisine.
"The restaurant specializes in Cantonese dim sum."
noun
1
A variety of Chinese spoken mainly in Guangdong province, Hong Kong, and Macau.
"She grew up speaking Cantonese at home and English at school."
"As a mainland China national, the counter for our trial was fluent in English, Putonghua, and the Sichuan dialect, and was familiar with a number of other major Chinese languages such as Cantonese and Hakka."
— Li Huang, Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers (2019)
How to use Cantonese
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRelating to the Guangzhou region of China, or the Chinese language spoken there.
Common pairings
Cantonese cuisine
speak Cantonese
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Word forms
Fill the gap
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The restaurant specializes in _____ dim sum.
Etymology
From "Canton," the old Western name for Guangzhou, plus the suffix "-ese."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for Cantonese
See all rhymes for Cantonese →Frequently asked questions
What does “Cantonese” mean?
The word “Cantonese” means relating to the city of Guangzhou (historically called Canton), its people, language, or cuisine. In plain terms, relating to the Guangzhou region of China, or the Chinese language spoken there.
How do you pronounce “Cantonese”?
“Cantonese” is pronounced kan-tuh-NEEZ (/kæn.təˈniz/ in IPA).
How do you use “Cantonese” in a sentence?
Here is “Cantonese” used in a sentence: “The restaurant specializes in Cantonese dim sum.”
What is another word for “Cantonese”?
Words with a similar meaning to “Cantonese” include Yue Chinese, Yue, Cantonese language and Cantonese dialect.
What part of speech is “Cantonese”?
Depending on how it is used, “Cantonese” can be an adjective and a noun.
How many meanings does “Cantonese” have?
“Cantonese” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to the city of Guangzhou (historically called Canton), its people, language, or cuisine.
