Cantonese

noun

Can·​ton·​ese ˌkan-tə-ˈnēz 

-ˈnēs

plural Cantonese

1

: a native or inhabitant of Guangzhou, China

2

: the dialect of Chinese spoken in Guangzhou and Hong Kong

3

: a style of Chinese cooking that emphasizes fresh ingredients, subtle tastes, and relatively mild sauces

Cantonese adjective

Examples of Cantonese in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement Yang, who speaks three Chinese dialects — Cantonese, Shanghainese and Mandarin — decided that Jian-Yang was probably from mainland China and likely would speak with a Mandarin accent. —Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2024

Chiu said many of the victims whose cars were towed were residents who primarily spoke Spanish and Cantonese, a group that is already susceptible to predatory towing. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024

In addition to speaking Cantonese, French, Malay and Mandarin, Teo has an intercontinental career. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 31 July 2024

Speakers of Cantonese or other non-Mandarin languages can use platforms besides Douyin, at least for now. —Gina Anne Tam, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Canton Guangzhou, ultimately from Portuguese Cantão, from Chinese (Guangzhou) Gwóngdūng Guangdong

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1