Date and time are part of our daily life. When you’re happy, you will wish the date 日期 (jat6 kei4) and time 時間 (si4 gaan3) to stop. In Hong Kong, knowing the date and time in Cantonese will be helpful in different situations. It can be used to book flights, restaurant reservations and observe shops, malls, and museum hours.
Telling date and time in the Cantonese language is similar to how it’s done in the English Language. So, all you have to do is learn Cantonese vocabulary about date and time. However, it would be best if you also considered learning the right pronunciation of each word and Chinese character. With the pronunciation, I’m pretty sure Ling App can make it happen.
Traditional Chinese Calendar Vs Modern Calendar
In Hong Kong, they make use of two types of calendars. The first one is the 農曆 (nung4 lik6), 舊曆 (gau6 lik6), or 陰曆 (jam1 lik6), which is known as the Traditional Chinese Calendar. This calendar is lunisolar, and it based its months, days according to astronomical phenomena. Hong Kongers also use this calendar as a basis for conducting funerals, weddings, or starting a business.
Hong Kong also uses the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar that is also used in most countries in the world.
Date Format In Cantonese
Knowing how to write the date in Cantonese is important. Of course, you can do it in English but, it still nice to learn how to write and say it in Cantonese. This will help you take note of important dates to remember like your flight, important celebrations and holiday, and even birthdays of your friends and family. Here is how times are written in Cantonese.
[year]年 [month]月 [day]日 (nin4 / jyut6 / jat6).
This format is also used in different parts of the world, so it would not be hard for you to understand. What you need to do is to learn how to state months, days, and years in Cantonese. You will learn this as you go further on this blog.
Years In Cantonese – 年 (nin4)
Another important thing to learn about dates and times in Cantonese is the years. Giving the year in Cantonese is very interesting because, unlike in other languages, Cantonese reads each digit individually. For example, in the year 2021, when read in English, we would say (Two thousand twenty-one / Twenty twenty-one) But, for Cantonese, you would say (Two, Zero, Two, One).
Here are some examples of years in Cantonese.
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 二零一九年 | ji6 ling4 jat1 gau2 nin4 | The year 2019 |
| 二零j二零年 | ji6 ling4 ji6 ling4 | The year 2020 |
| 二零j二一年 | ji6 ling4 ji6 jat1 nin4 | The year 2021 |
Months Of The Year -月 (yut6)
In Cantonese, the character 月 (yut6) is used for the word “month.” To state the month in Cantonese, add the number order of the month before 月 (yut6). For example, January is the 1st month in a year so, you would say jat1 (1st) yut6 (month). Check out examples below for the Cantonese term for other months.
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 一月 | jat1 yut6 | January |
| 二月 | ji6 yut6 | February |
| 三月 | saam1 yut6 | March |
| 四月 | sei3 yut6 | April |
| 五月 | ng5 yut6 | May |
| 六月 | luk6 yut6 | June |
| 七月 | cat1 yut6 | July |
| 八月 | baat3 yut6 | August |
| 九月 | gau2 yut6 | September |
| 十月 | sap6 yut6 | October |
| 十一月 | sap6 jat1 yut6 | November |
| 十二月 | sap6 ji6 yut6 | December |
Days in Cantonese – 日 (jat6)
Writing day of the month in Cantonese is almost the same as what other countries do. 日 (jat6) is the Chinese character for “day.” So if you want to express day in Cantonese, add the number in front of the Chinese character 日 (jat6).
Example: baat3 jat6 (8th of the month)
Take note!
- Written and spoken form of stating dates is different.
- Use the Chinese character 日 (jat6) for writing. Use teh Chinese character 號 (hou6) for spoken
- Replace 二十 (ji6 sap6) with 廿 (jaa6) when speaking.
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 一日 | jat1 jat6 | 1st |
| 二日 | ji6 jat6 | 2nd |
| 三日 | saam1 jat6 | 3rd |
| 四日 | sei3 jat6 | 4th |
| 五日 | ng5 jat6 | 5th |
| 六日 | luk6 jat6 | 6th |
| 七日 | cat1 jat6 | 7th |
| 八日 | baat3 jat6 | 8th |
| 九日 | gau2 jat6 | 9th |
| 十日 | sap6 jat6 | 10th |
| 十一日 | sap6 jat1 jat6 | 11th |
| 十二日 | sap6 ji6 jat6 | 12th |
| 十三日 | sap6 saam1 jat6 | 13th |
| 十四日 | sap6 sei3 jat6 | 14th |
| 十五日 | sap6 ng5 jat6 | 15th |
| 十六日 | sap6 luk6 jat6 | 16th |
| 十七日 | sap6 cat1 jat6 | 17th |
| 十八日 | sap6 baat3 jat6 | 18th |
| 十九日 | sap6 gau2 jat6 | 19th |
| 二十日 | ji6 sap6 jat6 | 20th |
| 二十一日 | ji6 sap6 jat1 jat6 | 21st |
| 二十二日 | ji6 sap6 ji6 jat6 | 22nd |
| 二十三日 | ji6 sap6 saam1 jat6 | 23rd |
| 二十四日 | ji6 sap6 sei3 jat6 | 24th |
| 二十五日 | ji6 sap6 ng5 jat6 | 25th |
| 二十六日 | ji6 sap6 luk6 jat6 | 26th |
| 二十七日 | ji6 sap6 cat1 jat6 | 27th |
| 二十八日 | ji6 sap6 baat3 jat6 | 28th |
| 二十九日 | ji6 sap6 gau2 jat6 | 29th |
| 三十日 | saam1 sap6 jat6 | 30th |
| 三十一日 | saam1 sap6 jat1 jat6 | 31st |
Days Of The Week
After learning the months of the year, you should also learn the days in a week. Here is the list of Cantonese days of the week.
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 星期日 | sing1 kei4 jat6 | Sunday |
| 星期 | sing1 kei4 jat1 | Monday |
| 星期二 | sing1 kei4 ji6 | Tuesday |
| 星期三 | sing1 kei4 saam1 | Wednesday |
| 星期四 | sing1 kei4 sei3 | Thursday |
| 星期五 | sing1 kei4 ng5 | Friday |
| 星期六 | sing1 kei4 luk6 | Saturday |
Time In Cantonese – 時間 (si4 gaan1)
Telling time in Cantonese is pretty similar to how it is done in English. Start reading the hour, and the minute, then the time of the day.
Hours
Let us first talk about hours. Here are ways on how to tell the time in Cantonese:
number of hour (1 – 12) + 點 (dim2)
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 點 | jat1 dim2 | 1 o’clock |
| 兩點 | loeng5 dim2 | 2 o’clock |
| 三點 | saam1 dim2 | 3 o’clock |
| 四點 | sei3 dim2 | 4 o’clock |
| 五點 | ng5 dim2 | 5 o’clock |
| 六點 | luk6 dim2 | 6 o’clock |
| 七點 | cat1 dim2 | 7 o’clock |
| 八點 | baat3 dim2 | 8 o’clock |
| 九點 | gau2 dim2 | 9 o’clock |
| 十點 | sap6 dim2 | 10 o’clock |
| 十一點 | sap6 jat1 dim2 | 11 o’clock |
| 十二點 | sap6 ji6 dim2 | 12 o’clock |
Minutes – 分鐘 (fan1 zung1).
After learning the hour, let us learn how to tell the time in Cantonese, including the minutes. To express hours and minutes, say the hour, then add the number (1-59) to the Chinese character 分 (fan1).
Take note! For numbers 1-9, we’ll add “0” in front, just like in English.
hour + 點 (dim2) + number of minutes past the hour
Here are some examples:
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 點零五分 | jat1 dim2 ling4 ng5 fan1 | 1:05 |
| 四點二十八分 | sei3 dim2 ji6 sap6 baat3 fan1 | 4:28 |
| 八點四十四分 | baat3 dim2 sei3 sap6 sei3 fan1 | 8:44 |
| 十一點五十一分 | sap6 jat1 dim2 ng5 sap6 jat1 fan1 | 11:51 |
| 十二點五十九分 | sap6 ji6 dim2 ng5 sap6 gau2 fan1 | 12:59 |
Quarters – 十五分鐘 (sap6 ng5 fan1 zung1)
For quarters, use the following:
| From | To | When To Use? |
| 三 saam1 | 十五分 sap6 ng5 fan1 | for 15 |
| 半 bun3 | 三十分 saam1 sap6 fan1 | for 30 |
| 九 gau2 | 四十五分 sei3 sap6 ng5 fan1 | for 45 |
Times Of The Day In Cantonese
You should also know the different times of the day when you are learning about dates and times in Cantonese. You also encounter some of these terms in learning the Basic Greetings in Cantonese.
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 朝早 | jiu1 jou2 | morning |
| 上晝 | soeng6 zau3 | a.m. / morning (spoken language) |
| 晏晝 | aan3 zau3 | noon |
| 下晝 | ha6 jau3 | afternoon |
| 下晝 | haa6 zau3 | p.m. / afternoon (spoken language) |
| 晚 | maan5 | evening |
| 白天 | baak6 tin1 | daytime |
Other Vocabulary Related To Time And Date In Cantonese
Part of learning the date and time in Cantonese is expanding your vocabulary. Here is some vocabulary that you can add to your list.
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 日曆 | jat6 lik6 | calendar |
| 每日 | mui5 yat6 | every day |
| 禮拜 | lai5 baai3 | Week (casual) |
| 星期 | sing1 kei4 | Week (both formal and casual) |
| 週末 | jau1 mut6 | Weekend |
| 平日 | ping4 yat6 | Weekday |
| 日期 | jat6 kei4 | Date |
| 今日 | gam1 yat6 | Today (casual) |
| 今天 | gam1 tin1m | Today (formal) |
| 尋日 | cam4 jat6 | Yesterday (casual) |
| 昨天 | zok3 tin1 | Yesterday (formal) |
| 聽日 | ting1 yat6 | Tomorrow (casual) |
| 明天 | ming4 tin1 | Tomorrow (formal) |
| 前日 | cin4 jat6 | The day before yesterday |
| 後日 | hau6 jat6 | The day after tomorrow |
| 下個月 | ha6 go3 yut6 | next month |
| 閏年日 | jeon6 nin4 jat6 | Leap year day |
| 一分鐘 | yat1 fan1 zung1 | a minute |
| 一秒 | yat1 miu5 | a second |
| ⋯(-1)點九 | ⋯(-1)dim2 gau2 | …quarter to |
| ⋯點半 | ⋯dim2 bun3 | .. half |
| ⋯點三 | ⋯dim2 saam1 | …quarter past |
| 一個鐘 | yat1 go3 zung1 | an hour |
| 而家 | yi4 ga1 | now |
| 到 | dou3 | until |
| 由 | yau4 | from |
| 之前 | ji1 chin4 | before |
| 之後 | ji1 hau6 | after |
| 同時 | tung4 si4 | meanwhile |
| 就嚟 | zau6 lai4 | soon |
| 就快 | zau6 faai3 | almost |
| 廿四小時 | jaa6 sei3 siu2 si4 | 24-hours |
| 出年 | ceot1 nin2 | next year |
| 舊年 | gau6 nin2 | last year |
| 光年 | gwong1 nin4 | light year |
Let’s Practice Your Vocabulary About Date And Time In Cantonese
Had fun learning date and Time in Cantonese? Learning Cantonese and other languages will be easier when you practice a lot and use it in conversations. Below is some vocabulary about dates and times in Cantonese that will help you master your skills in written and spoken form.
| Cantonese | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 五月三十一日是世界無煙日 | ng5 jyut6 saam1 sap6 jat1 jat6 si6 sai3 gaai3 mou4 jin1 jat6 | May 31st is World No Smoking Day. |
| 我 逢 星 期 一 去 游 水。 | ngo5 fung4 sing1 kei4 yat1 heui3 yau4 seui2。 | I swim every Monday. |
| 我 哋 逢 周 末 去 學 唱 歌。 | ngo5 dei6 fung4 jau1 mut6 heui3 hok6 cheung3 go1。 | We learn to sing every weekend. |
| 佢 每 個 月 都 去 街 市 買 嘢。 | keui5 mui5 go3 yut6 dou1 heui3 gaai1 si5 maai5 ye5。 | She goes shopping at the market every month. |
| 我 每 日 都 行 返 學。 | ngo5 mui5 yat6 dou1 haang4 faan1 hok6。 | I walk to school every day. |
| 今 日 係 假 期。 | gam1 yat6 hai6 ga3 kei4。 | Today is a holiday. |
| 元 旦 喺 一 月 一 日。 | yun4 daan3 hai2 yat1 yut6 yat1 yat6。 | New Year’s Day is on January 1st. |
| 十二月三十一日是除夕 | sap6 ji6 jyut6 saam1 sap6 jat1 jat6 si6 ceoi4 zik6 | December 31st is New Year’s Eve. |
| 情 人 節 喺 二 月 十 四 日。 | ching4 yan4 jit3 hai2 yi6 yut6 sap6 sei3 yat6。- | Valentine’s Day is on February 14th. |
| 聖 誕 節 喺 十 二 月 二 十 五 日。 | sing3 daan3 jit3 hai2 sap6 yi6 yut6 yi6 sap6 ng5 yat6。 | Christmas is on December 25th. |
| 我們在六月結婚 | ngo5 mun4 zoi6 luk6 jyut6 git3 fan1 | We are getting married in June. |
| 下年見！ | haa6 nin2 gin3! | See you next year! |
| 幾點鐘? | gei2 dim2 zung1 | What time is it? |
| 而 家 朝 早 七 點。 | yi4 ga1 jiu1 jou2 chat1 dim2。 | It is 7 a.m. |
| 而家十二點 | ji4 gaa1 sap6 ji6 dim2 | It’s now 12 o’clock. |
It’s Time To Learn Cantonese!
Life is too short to limit yourself to learning another language. Your love for your own native language is irreplaceable but, would it hurt you to expand your horizons, connect to more people, and discover different cultures. You have just learned about the date and time in Cantonese. With that, you’re up to a good start. Do not waste any year, month, or day. Make it worth it! Learn Cantonese using Ling App now!
