cantonese
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
The dialect of Chinese spoken in Canton and neighboring provinces and in Hong Kong and elsewhere outside China.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kantuhneezSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
kæntəˈniz
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
uncountable
A dialect of the Cantonese language, spoken in Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong, Macau, and treated as the standard dialect of the Cantonese language.
The dialect of Chinese spoken in Canton and neighboring provinces and in Hong Kong and elsewhere outside China
uncountable
A Sinitic language mainly spoken in the south-eastern part of Mainland China, Guangdong (Canton), Hong Kong, Macau, by the Chinese minorities in Southeast Asia and by many overseas Chinese worldwide.
countablechiefly in the plural
An inhabitant of Canton; a person of Canton descent.
adjective
Relating to the city of Guangzhou (Canton) or the province of Guangdong.
Relating to Cantonese language.
Word at a Glance
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The dialect of Chinese spoken in Canton and neighboring provinces and in Hong Kong and elsewhere outside China.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: dialect of the Cantonese language
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