Cantonese (Hong Kong)→English

Translate Cantonese (Hong Kong) to English the way locals mean it.

In Hong Kong Cantonese, greetings, postponements, and invitations often mean more than their literal words suggest because particles and softeners carry the tone.

Going the other way? English to Cantonese (Hong Kong)

474 local dialects

AIRTranslate on iPhone choosing between Cantonese varieties

What locals actually say

你食咗飯未呀？

Hey, have you eaten?

The 咗...未 pattern literally asks whether someone has eaten, but it commonly works as a friendly greeting; 呀 softens the question.

我而家忙緊，遲啲覆你先。

I’m tied up right now, I’ll get back to you later.

緊 marks an action in progress, while 先 makes the postponement sound temporary rather than like a firm refusal.

唔使客氣，得閒飲茶呀！

No worries, let’s grab tea sometime!

得閒 means when you have time, so this is an open-ended invitation rather than a scheduled plan; 呀 keeps it warm and casual.

呢餐我請，唔使夾錢。

This round's on me, no need to chip in.

請 means to treat someone, while 夾錢 means to contribute money or split the bill, both common in casual Hong Kong Cantonese.

你過咗個紅綠燈就轉右，見到便利店就到喇。

Cross the traffic light, turn right, and you'll be there when you see the convenience store.

過咗 uses 咗 to mark a completed action, and 喇 signals that the situation or instruction is now settled.

呢間茶記啲焗豬扒飯好正喎！

The baked pork chop rice at this cha chaan teng is so good!

茶記 is the Hong Kong term for a casual diner, while 好正 means especially good and 喎 adds an enthusiastic, conversational tone.

我細佬又霸住部電視喇。

My younger brother is hogging the TV again.

細佬 specifically means a younger brother in Hong Kong Cantonese, and 霸住 means occupying or monopolizing something.

份報告我今晚搞掂，聽日朝早send畀你。

I'll finish the report tonight and send it to you tomorrow morning.

搞掂 means get something completed, 聽日 means tomorrow, and send畀 is natural Hong Kong Cantonese code-switching for send it to someone.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

How Cantonese (Hong Kong) differs

Hong Kong Cantonese in traditional characters, written the way locals text: 嘅, 咗, 唔係, 好正, 冇問題; English loanwords natural in casual register (OK, book位). Formal documents shift toward standard written Chinese.

Sound like a local everywhere, not just here.

Every one of 474 dialects, with voice, camera, a keyboard for any app, and offline packs.

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Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way