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

The film is conceived as a multi-language release, with dialogue in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Korean, Japanese and Thai. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 June 2026

Right now, the organization has social and civic engagement programs as well as healthcare access and navigation programs in Mandarin, Cantonese and Hmong. — Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026

Take your pick between next-gen Cantonese or a California pizza party. — Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026

Overlapping conversations in Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Spanish and more fill the open dining room as a regular walks through the door. — Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026

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

Rhymes for Cantonese

• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees
• arrestees
• artistes
• assamese