15+ Basic Greetings In Cantonese Every Traveler Should Know

greetings in cantonese

If you’re planning on going to Hong Kong and don’t know where to start, learning some basic greetings in Cantonese is a perfect starting point, as these will probably be some of the first words you’ll be using!

In this blog, we will explore some basic greetings in cantonese that will make your trip enjoyable!

greetings in cantonese

What Are Basic Greetings In Cantonese?

Let’s explore some greetings that can be used on your next trip to Hong Kong. You’ll also need to know the different Hong Kong culture facts before going there. So, if you’re ready to meet more people, let’s learn more about greetings in Cantonese.

Here is a collection of important greeting words and phrases that you should know.

EnglishCantonesePronunciation
Hello你好nei5 hou2
Welcome歡迎 fun1 jing4
How are you?你好嗎? nei5 hou2 maa3?
How are you?點呀? dim2 aa3?
Long time no see.好耐冇見 hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3
What’s your name?你叫(做)乜野名呀nei5 giu3 (zou6) mat1 je5 meng2 aa3
My name is…我叫ngo5 giu3
I’m from…我係 … 人 ngo5 hai6 … jan4.
Pleased to meet you.好開心見到你 hou2 hoi1 sam1 gin3 dou3 nei5
Good morning早晨 zou2 san4
Good afternoon午安 ng5 on1
Good evening晚安 maan5 on1
Good night早抖 zou2 dau2
Excuse me唔該m4 goi1
Sorry對唔住deoi3 m4 zyu6
Please唔該 m4 goi1
Thank you多謝 do1 ze6

What Are The Most Basic Greetings In Cantonese ?

You don’t have to be completely fluent in a language to make an impression among local people, and simply break the ice with a single word. Simple basic Cantonese phrases and words can be enough for you to leave a mark on your passage!

As with the famous Sawasdee in Thailand, and Ciao in Italy, when in Hong Kong, using the famous phrase 你好 (néih hóu) will definitely spark some compassion with the fellow tourist and help you get through even the most unsympathetic local. I’m not telling you this from the top of my head; I’m speaking with full knowledge of the power of these little words!

How do I know that? Well, let me tell you of a simple social experiment I did (unintentionally) on my previous trip to Hong Kong. I had just arrived, and I needed some help getting to my hotel, so I kept addressing people with a somewhat friendly “Hello” and asking if they know where my hotel was. I kept getting a “sorry, I don’t know”, followed by the frown of somebody being annoyed by one more of the tourists that come to Hong Kong just for the Instagram photos and could only speak English. Also a little tip: Remember the dos and don’ts when coming to Hong Kong!

I was getting frustrated, and honestly starting to panic a little bit as I was getting nervous that I would not be able to get to my hotel on time for check-in. It was at that moment that I remembered a cute little phrase from my primary school teacher Ms. Li (yes, that was her real name), who always started classes by using a friendly néih hó. I didn’t know if it was going to work, but as soon as I started approaching people by using this greeting and then talking in English, they were so much more thoughtful and caring than before! There was even a lovely older man that took me right up to the hotel lobby!

At the time, I didn’t know if it was even a proper way to address people in Chinese, but I came to realize later that this was the way to say Hello in Chinese, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Confused yet? Before I dive deeper into more types of greetings I learned during my 3 months in Hong Kong, I should probably first explain what Chinese, Mandarin, and Cantonese have in common.

Differences Between Cantonese And Mandarin

Chinese is a broad term that refers to a group of related languages spoken in China, including Mandarin and Cantonese, which are considered dialects of Chinese. 

While Mandarin is the official language of China and is spoken by the majority of people in mainland China, Cantonese is spoken in the Guangdong province of China, as well as in Hong Kong, Macau, and other parts of Southeast Asia.

One of the main differences between Mandarin and Cantonese is how they are written. Both use Chinese characters, but Mandarin is written using simplified characters, while Cantonese is written using traditional characters.

In terms of pronunciation, Mandarin and Cantonese are also quite different, because Cantonese has a more complex tonal system and tends to be more heavily influenced by regional dialects.

Frequently Asked Questions About Greetings In Cantonese

How To Greet People In Hong Kong?

Some typical cantonese greetings are:

  • 早晨(zou2 san4), means “Good morning”
  • 晚安(maan5 on1),means “Good night”
  • 食咗飯未?(sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6?),means “Did you eat?”

What Does “lei ho ma” Mean?

“lei ho ma”, written as “你好嗎“, is a way how people greet each other. It used as “how are you”.

To response to this greeting would be” 我好好, 多謝! (ngo5 hou2 hou2, do1 ze6)”

How Do I Reply To “你好” In Hong Kong?

The simple response will be 你好 (nei5 hou2). If its more casual, people would ask “咩事? (me1 si6?)”, this is used among friends to say” what’s up”.

Wrapping Up!

New languages like Cantonese, or any other you’re interested in, are very scary languages to learn. The Cantonese alphabet, with an incredible diversity of characters, is a very daunting endeavor to take up. However, at the same time, this language is spoken by millions and millions of people, so if you get it, even if just the minimum, to have a Cantonese conversation, you’re guaranteed to be able to talk with many more people.

To start is very simple: first, you can explore our Cantonese blog, where you can find many interesting topics around the Cantonese language. You can learn grammar and vocabulary, such as how to say I love in Cantonese, or explore more general topics, such as the scariest haunted places in Hong Kong

After this, and once your love for Cantonese is in full bloom, we have an application to help explore more of this beautiful language.

Learn Cantonese With Ling!

Is Cantonese really a hard language to learn? Ling is here to help deconstruct this hard language and lead you to full fluency in Cantonese.

Our lessons are made to be simple, fun, and interactive so that you don’t feel that you’re getting too much information at once and through boring lessons that don’t help the information stay in your mind. We use games, puzzles, and quizzes to trigger your curiosity and help you absorb information much faster and more efficiently.

Ling is being used by millions of people who have decided to learn a second language and improve their communication skills. Join them, and let’s speak Cantonese together!

Download the Ling app and get started today!

10,000+ people use the Ling app every day to learn languages!

Should you join us too? The answer is YES! Here’s why:
  1. Core Learning Tools
    • Essential vocabulary and useful phrases in bite-sized lessons
    • Realistic dialogues for comfortable conversations
    • Listening and speaking practice with native speaker audio
    • Culture and grammar notes for extra context

  2. Interactive & Engaging Features
    • Fun games for vocabulary review
    • Finger-tracing exercises to practice writing
    • Daily streaks and badges to keep you motivated

  3. Over 40+ Asian and Eastern European languages unlocked

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