Have you been in a room 房 (fong2) of a typical Hong Konger’s house 房子 (fong4 zi2)? Widening your vocabulary about Cantonese rooms in the house will make you feel at home when you visit Hong Kong.
One interesting fact about Hong Kong is that about half of Hong Kong residents live in public housing. So, if you are planning to go to Hong Kong, learning some vocabulary about Cantonese rooms in the house might be helpful for you if you find hotel rooms expensive.
房子 (fong4 zi2) And 屋 (Wū) What’s The Difference?
If you are a beginner in learning Cantonese rooms in the house, you might be confused between 房子 (fong4 zi2) and (屋Wū). 房子 (fong4 zi2) is the Cantonese translation of the word “house,” while 屋 (Wū) is Mandarin. The latter word is another Chinese language which is Mandarin.
Cantonese is also known as traditional Chinese, while Mandarin is simplified Chinese to give you a quick difference between the two languages. One of the similarities between these two languages is they are both sensitive to pronunciation. But, if you want to learn more about the difference between the two Chinese languages, we have a separate blog for you. This is really important because they differ in many aspects, both in written and spoken language.
How Do You Say Room And House In Cantonese?
Before we learn the Cantonese rooms in the house, let us first learn how to say room and house in Cantonese.
House
Cantonese: 房子 (fong4 zi2)
Room
Cantonese: 房 (fong2)
Identifying Cantonese Rooms In The House
“There’s no place like home,” they say. Every room in the house is important. In fact, upon growing up, this is one of the first vocabularies we learn, not because our parents want to do so but because it is part of our daily lives. Eventually, this house will slowly build memories, and it will turn into the home that we value and cherish—no wonder why we value every room in our house.
So, to get you started, here are the common rooms in the house in Cantonese. Make sure to learn both the written characters and their pronunciation.
1. Bedroom – 睡房 (seoi6 fong2)
Bedroom 睡房 (seoi6 fong2) is where we sleep 睡覺 (seoi6 gaau3) and rest 休息 (jau1 sik1). The character 睡 (seoi6) means “to sleep,” while 房 (fong2) is “room.” This is a very private room for most of us, and we don’t usually allow guests 客 (haak3) in here.
And because we are mentioned sleeping, why not learn how to say Goodnight in Cantonese also?
Here are some vocabularies related to the bedroom:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| bed | 床 | cong4 |
| single bed | 單人床 | daan1 jan4 cong4 |
| double bed | 雙人床 | soeng1 jan4 cong4 |
| blanket | 毛氈 | mou4 zin1 |
| pillow | 枕頭 | zam2 tau |
| closet | 衣櫃 | ji1 gwai6 |
| breakfast in bed | 喺床上食早餐 | hai2 cong4 soeng6 sik6 zou2 caan1 |
| to tide up, to make (bed) | 整理床舖 | zing2 lei5 cong4 po1 |
2. Living Room – 客廳 (haak3 teng1)
Next is the room where we entertain guests, which is the living room 客廳 (haak3 teng1). To break it down, the Chinese character 客 (haak3) means “guests” in English, while 廳 (teng1) means “big room.” So, it means “a big room where your guests can sit.” You can do many things with your guests in the living room, like watching a TV show, drinking coffee, and more.
Conversations will really happen here when you have guests, so, why not try to learn some Cantonese greetings to break the ice?
Here are some vocabularies related to the living room:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| sofa | 梳化 | so1 faa2 |
| coffee table | 茶几 | caa4 gei1 |
| television | 電視 | din6 si6 |
3. Dining Room – 飯廳 (faan6 teng1)
Many people would agree that one of our favorite rooms in our house is the dining room 飯廳 (faan6 teng1). The Chinese character 飯 (faan6) means “rice” in English, or “a meal”; so a big room for rice, to eat, means the dining room. This is not just about the food but because families usually gather here while eating happily. Spending time eating with each other as a whole family is a great experience that you’ll always treasure for the rest of your life.
While talking to your family, it is nice to check them out by asking “How are you?” so learning how to ask “How are you?” in Cantonese will really be essential.
Here are some vocabularies related to the dining room:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| dinner table | 餐桌 | caan1 coek3 |
| dining table | 飯枱 | faan6 toi2 |
| chair | 椅子 | ji2 zi2 |
| spoon | 匙羹 | ci4 gang1 |
| fork | 叉 | caa1 |
| drinking glass | 杯子 | bui1 zi2 |
4. Kitchen – 廚房 (cyu4 fong2)
The kitchen 廚房 (cyu4 fong2) is the room for food lovers. This room is for cooking 烹飪 (paang1 jam6) food 食物 (sik6 mat6). There are houses where both the kitchen and dining room are located in the same room. You can find different cooking equipment used to prepare food in this room.
Since we are talking about food, here are some Cantonese food that you can try to appreciate their culture more.
Here are some vocabularies related to the kitchen:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| frying pan | 平底鑊 | ping4 dai2 wok6 |
| pot | 煲 | bou1 |
| kettle | 壺 | wu2 |
| cooking oil | 食油 | sik6 jau4 |
| oven | 焗爐 | guk6 lou4 |
| microwave oven | 微波爐 | mei4 bo1 lou4 |
| ladle | 湯殼 | tong1 hok3 |
| electric rice cooker | 電飯煲 | din6 faan6 bou1 |
5. Bathroom – 廁所 (ci3 so2)
If you have guests, they may look for your bathroom to attend to their needs. It is important always to clean your bathroom, especially if you are always receiving guests. You don’t want to be hearing expressions like “你個廁所好臭呀。(nei5 go3 ci3 so2 hou2 cau3 aa3.) “Your bathroom stinks.” “Your bathroom smells.”
Hong Kongers can be kind enough to let you use their bathroom in case of an emergency. So, it would be helpful if you learn the basic Cantonese words and phrases.
Here are some vocabularies related to the bathroom:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| shower | 企缸 | kei5 gong1 |
| shower gel | 沐浴露 | muk6 juk6 lou6 |
| to take a shower/bath | 沖涼 | cung1 loeng4 |
| shampoo | 洗頭 | sai2 tau4 |
| soap | 番梘 | faan1 gaan2 |
| bath | 沖涼 | cung1 loeng4 |
| toilet | 洗手間 | sai2 sau2 gaan1 |
| toilet paper | 廁紙 | ci3 zi2 |
6. Washroom – 洗手間 (sai2 sau2 gaan1)
There are houses where they have separate washrooms 洗手間 (sai2 sau2 gaan1). Washrooms are mainly for freshening up, washing hands, brushing teeth, and retouching make-up.
Here are some vocabularies related to the washroom:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| hand soap | sai2 sau2 jik6 | 洗手液 |
| liquid soap | gaan2 jik6 | 梘液 |
| to wash, to rinse | sai2 | 洗 |
| toothbrush | ngaa4 caat2 | 牙刷 |
| toothpaste | ngaa4 gou1 | 牙膏 |
7. Guest Room- 客房 (haak3 fong2)
The guest room 客房 (haak3 fong2) is where you let your guests stay when they want to spend the night at your house. Make sure to give only your home address to those you are comfortable with to avoid unexpected guests.
Here are some vocabularies related to the guest room:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| guest | 客人 | haak3 jan4 |
| guests | 客 | haak3 |
8. Attic – 閣樓 (gok3 lau2)
Not all houses have an attic 閣樓 (gok3 lau2). This is where people usually store their old stuff at home. Attics cans also serve as an extra room because it is spacious and can fit a single bed.
9. Garden 花園 (faa1 jyun2)
For plant lovers, they would definitely have their own garden at home 花園 (faa1 jyun2). Having your own garden may help you release stress and pollution because of the plants. The space for your garden might also be used to entertain guests.
Here are some vocabularies related to the garden:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| plant | 植物 | zik6 mat6 |
| flowers | 鮮花 | sin1 faa1 |
| tree | 樹 | syu6 |
Gardens are also a good place to hold parties and have drinks because the air is fresh, and the vibe outside is really different. So, why not add the different ways to say “Cheers” in Cantonese to your vocabulary list?
10. Basement – 地庫 (dei6 fu3)
If you have a basement 地庫 (dei6 fu3), your house might be huge. Basements can be completely or partly below the ground floor.
Here are some vocabularies related to the basement:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| cellar | 地下室 | dei6 haa6 sat1 |
| stairs | 樓梯 | lau4 tai1 |
| downstairs | 樓下 | lau4 haa6 |
11. Office – 公司 (gung1 si1)
Nowadays, most houses have a space to use as their office 公司 (gung1 si1). This is where people work, continue unfinished tasks at work, and sometimes it could be used for studying.
Here are some vocabularies related to the office:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| computer | 電腦 | din6 nou5 |
| laptop computer | 手提電腦 | sau2 tai4 din6 nau5 |
| desktop computer | 桌上型電腦 | coek3 soeng6 jing4 din6 nou5 |
Let’s Put Cantonese Rooms In The House Vocabulary Into Sentences
Now that you have lots of words related to Cantonese rooms in the house added to your vocabulary, you may now use them in sentences. Try practicing these sentences:
| English Translation | Cantonese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| My bedroom is very small. It’s too small! | 我間睡房好細。 | ngo5 gaan1 seoi6 fong2 hou2 sai3. |
| My kitchen is not big enough. I like a very big kitchen. | 我個廚房唔夠大。 | ngo5 go3 cyu4 fong2 m4 gau3 daai6. |
| The sofa in my living room is white. So we ask the kids not to play around the sofa. | 我客廳張梳化係白色嘅。 | ngo5 haak3 teng1 zoeng1 so1 faa2 hai6 baak6 sik1 ge3. |
| Where is the bathroom? | 廁所在哪裡？ | ci3 so2 zoi6 naa5 leoi5? |
| The color theme of the dining room is brown and green. How about yours? | 飯廳嘅色調係啡色同綠色。 | faan6 teng1 ge3 sik1 diu6 hai6 fe1 sik1 tung4 luk6 sik1. |
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One Response
Nice very informative