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

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Etymology

Origin of Cantonese

First recorded in 1855–60; Canton + -ese

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Cantonese

Then comes the sound, clams tossed in hot pans, cleavers pounding roast pork, a Cantonese rock ballad barely rising above the crowd.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

Founder Xu Jiayin, known as Hui Ka Yan in Cantonese, was reportedly held by police in 2023, with Evergrande saying he had been subjected to measures "due to suspicion of illegal crimes".

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

As Cantonese speakers, her parents, who settled the family in Quincy, Massachusetts, weren’t plugged into the parent-school network.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025

But there are also dozens of other languages including Cantonese, Thai, Punjabi and Hindi.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2025

What she really wanted, though, was a Chinese expert who could speak the Cantonese dialect.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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