English words from Cantonese
- lawThe body of binding rules and regulations, customs, and standards established in a community by its legislative and judicial authorities.
- lookAs an intransitive verb, often with "at".
- laA syllable used in solfège to represent the sixth note of a major scale.
- youngIn the early part of growth or life; born not long ago.
- mamother, mama
- fanA hand-held device consisting of concertinaed material, or slats of material, gathered together at one end, that may be opened out into the shape of a sector of a circle and waved back and forth in order to move air towards oneself and cool oneself.
- kongA set of four identical tiles.
- inchAn English unit of length equal to 1/12 of a foot or 2.54 cm.
- hongA foreign trading company in China.
- lolook, see, behold (in an imperative sense).
- sitTo be in a position in which the upper body is upright and supported by the buttocks.
- sinA violation of divine will or religious law.
- eeAn eye.
- chanAn IRC channel.
- yenThe unit of Japanese currency (symbol: ¥) since 1871, divided into 100 sen.
- aogrue ("blue or green", considered as one color)
- yepYes.
- mahAsserts that there is a straightforward or self-evident reason for something.
- powThe sound of a violent impact, such as a punch.
- kanA Japanese unit of weight, approximately 3.75 kg or 8.267 lb.
- chowFood, especially snacks.
- chengA Chinese surname from Mandarin.
- wahThe red panda.
- ChoiA surname from Chinese [in turn from Cantonese].
- tongAn instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.
- tseThe Cyrillic letter Ц, ц.
- yeeYou (the people being addressed); alternative spelling of ye.
- CheungA surname from Cantonese.
- LeungA surname from Cantonese.
- wokA large, round-bottomed cooking pan used in East Asian cooking.
- KowloonA region, peninsula, and urban area of Hong Kong.
- heaHere.
- mehMediocre; lackluster; unexceptional; uninspiring.
- lorTagged at the end of a sentence to convey a sense of resignation or inevitability.
- ChiuA surname from Cantonese.
- wantonUndisciplined, unruly; not able to be controlled.
- YimA surname.
- yipA sharp, high-pitched bark.
- ChauA surname.
- LeongA Chinese surname from Cantonese.
- TsuiA surname.
- LukA surname.
- YeungA surname from Cantonese.
- chekA Hong Kong foot.
- muiChinese plum
- mogwaiA kind of demon held to be harmful to humans.
- ShekA surname from Cantonese.
- SetoA surname.
- churA strong voicing of agreement, approval, or thanks: awesome!, cheers!, ta!, thanks!.
- SzeA Chinese surname from Cantonese.
- NganA surname from Cantonese.
- soongIn American Chinese cuisine, minced meat or vegetables.
- lycheeThe Chinese tropical fruit tree Litchi chinensis, of the soapberry family.
- ShumA surname.
- cheyExpression of dismissal following an unmet expectation.
- WanchaiA former district of Victoria, Hong Kong, United Kingdom.
- kumquatA small, orange citrus-like fruit which is native to Asia (Citrus japonica, syn. Fortunella japonica).
- jukSynonym of congee.
- laanwholesaler, especially of fresh food
- wontonA Chinese dumpling, often stuffed with varieties of meat or seafood and vegetables.
- LantauSynonym of Lantau Island.
- jyutpingA romanisation system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK).
- hoisinA sauce made from soy, garlic, chili etc, used in Chinese cooking
- jomafemale group leader in orientation camps
- kaitoA small motorized ferry or sampan that serves mostly remote islands.
- dootDoubt.
- PuntiA group of people who moved to Hong Kong during the Song Dynasty.
- taipanAny venomous elapid snake of the genus Oxyuranus, found in Australia and New Guinea.
- chioCute, pretty.
- LammaSynonym of Lamma Island.
- loquatAny member of the species Eriobotrya japonica of trees (Japanese medlar, Chinese plum, Japanese plum).
- jobamale group leader in orientation camps
- pungA low box-like sleigh designed to be pulled by one horse.
- longanAn evergreen tree, Dimocarpus longan, of the Sapindaceae family, native to southern China.
- jookTo dodge; to move quickly to avoid something or to hide; to dart away.
- SzetoA surname from Cantonese.
- kowtowTo kneel and bow low enough to touch one’s forehead to the ground.
- YanpingA district of Nanping, Fujian, China.
- fanlingAn inexperienced fan.
- souchongAny of several varieties of aromatic black tea from China.
- KeemunA variety of Chinese black tea.
- chiongTo rush or charge, usually to do, complete or obtain something, or to get to a particular place.
- add value machineA machine that adds money to (tops up) public transport cards.
- Ah LongLoan shark
- A Kung NgamAn area and village in Shau Kei Wan, Eastern district, Hong Kong.
- Ap Lei ChauAn island of Southern district, Hong Kong.
- AuyeungA Chinese surname from Cantonese.
- Beacon HillA suburb of Sydney in the Northern Beaches council area, New South Wales, Australia.
- Big Wave BayA village in Shek O, Southern district, Hong Kong.
- bing suttA traditional Cantonese shop selling cold drinks and sometimes light meals, found mainly in Hong Kong.
- blow waterto brag; to boast; to talk big
- bo leiSynonym of pu'er (“a kind of tea”)
- bon saoA particular defensive move in Wing Chun.
- bubble teaSweetened tea with milk and tapioca pearls, often including fruit juice, syrup and other ingredients.
- cage homeA subdivision of an apartment/tenement/flat's rooms into separate living spaces of stacked cages, big enough to fit a bed and hold one's belongings.
- cha chaan tengA restaurant typically with eclectic and affordable menus, featuring Hong Kong-style cuisine, originating from Hong Kong.
- Chai WanAn area of Eastern district, Hong Kong.
- champoyA snack made from preserved yangmei or sometimes tamarind.
- chase the dragonTo inhale the vapor from heated morphine, heroin, oxycodone or opium that has been placed on a piece of foil.
- Chek ChuSynonym of Stanley (“a coastal town and area in Southern district, Hong Kong”).