[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/cantonese/)

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# cantonese

adjective (Cantonese); noun (Cantonese — the language, uncountable; the Cantonese — the people)

«cantonese» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The Chinese language spoken in Guangzhou (once called Canton), Hong Kong, Macau and by many Chinese people abroad. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/#m1)
2. (adjective) From or to do with this area, its people or its food: Cantonese food. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/#m2)

### In the lessons

In geography and language lessons Cantonese is one of the main Chinese languages, different from Mandarin when spoken, though they share many written characters. Many Chinese communities in the UK, Canada, the USA and Australia speak Cantonese, so it may be heard on the street. Cantonese food includes dim sum, sweet and sour dishes and roast duck.

### Examples

- My friend's family speaks Cantonese at home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/#x1)
- Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/#x2)
- We had Cantonese dim sum for lunch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/#x3)
- Cantonese and Mandarin sound very different. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/#x4)
- "Nei hou" means hello in Cantonese. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/#x5)
- Cantonese has more tones than Mandarin. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/#x6)

### Note

Always written with a capital C. Pronounced kan-to-NEEZ. Cantonese is not the same as Mandarin, though both are Chinese; people who speak only one often cannot understand the other in speech.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «cantonese» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cantonese/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«cantonese» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/cantonese.html) on Mova free.