Cantonese

American  

[kan-tn-eez, -ees] / ˌkæn tnˈiz, -ˈis /

noun

Cantonese plural

1. a Chinese language spoken in Canton, the surrounding area of southern China, and Hong Kong.

2. a native or inhabitant of Canton, China.

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adjective

1. pertaining to Canton, China, its inhabitants, or their language.

Cantonese British  

/ ˌkæntəˈniːz /

noun

1. the Chinese language spoken in the city of Canton, Guangdong and Guanxi provinces, Hong Kong, and elsewhere outside China

2. a native or inhabitant of the city of Canton or Guangdong province

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adjective

1. of or relating to the city of Canton, Guangdong province, or the Chinese language spoken there

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Cantonese
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Cantonese

First recorded in 1855–60; Canton + -ese

Example Sentences

His mother was of European descent and his father was a Cantonese opera star who was on tour in the city, affording his son birthright citizenship.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026

Photos taken by local media outlet The Collective showed officers removing lyrics of a Cantonese song -- a veiled reference to huge and sometimes violent democracy protests in 2019 -- from the shop window.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

It’s the only resort in the Maldives with a Zuma, and its Cantonese restaurant, Li Long, a Peking duck expert from Beijing, helms the country’s first wood-fired oven.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025

But to try one of Vancouver’s most beloved Chinese restaurants, make for Chinatown BBQ, where the checkerboard floors and hanging meat evoke a classic Cantonese chopshop.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025

Then she began to speak—a stream of language—of English and Latin, Arabic and Russian, Cantonese, Pashto, Dragon, Sphinx.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell