How to Say Hello in Cantonese || 10 Greetings You Should Know

Do you want to travel to Cantonese-speaking regions? Perhaps you want to take in the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, or maybe you want to get stuck into the local Canton cuisine?

Either way, wouldn’t it be great to known a few greetings in Cantonese so you can mix with the locals?

Trust us – locals love it when you try and speak the local lingo. Today we start from the very beginning

As a dialect of Chinese spoken by millions of people in Guangdong province, Hong Kong, and Macau, Cantonese is known for its unique pronunciation and tonal system, which can make it challenging for non-native speakers to learn.

However, mastering a few key phrases can go a long way in showing respect and building relationships with Cantonese speakers.

In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to 10 essential Cantonese phrases for greeting people.

Each phrase has its own unique function and meaning, and we’ll explain how to use them in different social situations.

Whether you’re traveling to Hong Kong or just interested in learning more about Cantonese culture, these phrases will help you make a great first impression.

Hello in Cantonese || 你好

Hello in Cantonese || 你好嗎

Hello in Cantonese || 好耐無見

Hello in Cantonese || 哈囉

Hello in Cantonese || 早晨

BONUS || there’s more. Learn how to say goodbye in Cantonese here.

Hello in Cantonese || 你好 (nei5 hou2)

This is the most common and universal way to say hello in Cantonese.

It literally means “you good” and can be used in any situation, formal or informal.

You can also reply with 你好 if someone greets you with this phrase.

TOP TIP || whilst it make look the same as the Mandarin equivalent, the pronunciation is different. Be careful!

Hello in Cantonese || 你好嗎？(nei5 hou2 maa1)

This is a polite and formal way to ask how someone is doing in Cantonese.

It means “How are you doing?” and can be used as a conversation starter or a follow-up question after saying hello.

You can answer with 好好 (hou2 hou2) meaning “very well”, 幾好 (gei2 hou2) meaning “quite well”, 唔錯 (m4 co3) meaning “not bad”, or longer sentences depending on how you feel.

Learn how to correctly pronounce 你好嗎 with this short video.

Hello in Cantonese || 好耐無見 (hou2 noi6 mo4 gin3)

好耐無見 means “long time no see”.

This phrase is used as a greeting when meeting someone after a long time.

It expresses surprise and happiness at seeing the person again.

This is a very common and useful expression in Cantonese that can help you connect with your friends and acquaintances when you are meeting them after a long time.

So next time, when you see your old friends from Cantonese-speaking regions, you can try to greet them by saying 好耐無見!

Hello in Cantonese || 哈囉 (haa1 lo3)

This is a casual and informal way to say hello in Cantonese.

This phrase might be the easiest term for English speakers to learn about as it is derived from the English word “hello”!

The pronunciation of Hello and 哈囉 is just the same, except for the tone. It can be used with friends or acquaintances.

You can also respond with 哈囉 if someone says this to you.

Hello in Chinese 👋🏽 20 Ways To Greet Someone in Mandarin

So you think you know how to say hello in Chinese? It’s easy, isn’t it? But did you know there are at least 20 ways to greet someone in Mandarin?

Hello in Cantonese || 早晨 zou2 san4

早晨 is a time-sensitive way to say hello in Cantonese in the morning.

It can be a formal greeting to your friends or even colleagues when you meet them in the morning.

It can also be an informal greeting to your family members when you wake up in the morning or eating breakfast.

It means “Good morning” and can be used before noon or when you meet someone for the first time in the day.

You can also reply with 早晨 if someone greets you with this phrase.

Learn how to pronounce 早晨 in Cantonese in this video!

Goodbye in Cantonese

Apart from saying Hello, we also need to learn how to say goodbye, in order to show your politeness to your Cantonese-speaking friends!

Goodbye in Cantonese || 再見

Goodbye in Cantonese || 拜拜

Goodbye in Cantonese || 係咁先

Goodbye in Cantonese || 下次見

Goodbye in Cantonese || 走先啦

Goodbye in Cantonese || 再見 zoi3 gin3

This is the most standard and polite way to say goodbye in Cantonese.

It means “see you again” and it can be used in formal and informal situations.

You can say it to anyone you meet, such as your friends, family, colleagues, or strangers.

You can also use it at the end of a phone call or a message.

Goodbye in Cantonese || 拜拜 baai1 baai3

This is a casual and friendly way to say goodbye in Cantonese.

It has actually got the same pronunciation with the English word “bye-bye”.

拜拜 can be used with people you are close to or familiar with.

PRO TIP || One important point to note is that, you should never pronounce 拜拜 in a lower tone (i.e. baai3 baai3) when you wish to use this phrase to say goodbye to your friends.

As if you have pronounced 拜拜 in a lower tone, it will mean worship or pray to the gods!

Learn how to pronounce 拜拜 in this video!

Goodbye in Cantonese || 係咁先 hai6 gam2 sin1

This is a casual way to say goodbye in Cantonese.

It means “that’s it for now” and it can be used when you want to say goodbye to your friends.

You can use it with your close friends.

Most Cantonese-speakers will also say this phrase together with 拜拜 at the end of a phone call.

FOR EXAMPLE || 係咁先，拜拜！

PRO TIP || You should never use this phrase solely to say goodbye in person, to people who are older than you or who have a higher status than you, such as your boss!

This would be considered impolite and people may think that you are rude!

DID YOU KNOW || A rapper group in Hong Kong even created a song named as 係咁先啦! See if you can understand the meaning of the song lyrics.

Goodbye in Cantonese || 下次見 haa6 ci3 gin3

This is an optimistic and hopeful way to say goodbye in Cantonese.

It means “see you next time” and can be used when you want to express your wish or expectation to meet someone again in the future.

You can use it with people you have a good relationship with or who share a common interest with you.

You can also use it when you want to leave a good impression on someone.

Goodbye in Cantonese || 走先啦 zau2 sin1 laa1

This is a versatile and friendly way of saying goodbye in Cantonese.

It means “I’ve gotta go”, usually this phrase will be followed by 係咁先啦 or 下次再見啦, which mean “that’s it for now” or “let’s meet again next time”.

These phrases can add a sense of closure and anticipation for the next meeting.

You can use it in your daily life to communicate with your Cantonese-speaker friends or colleagues, as it is commonly used in daily life.

That concludes our look at greetings in Cantonese with 5 phrases for hello and 5 for goodbye.

Got anymore that we may have missed?

Leave a comment below and add your favourites 🤩

BONUS || You can study Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese and even Taiwanese Hokkien online 24/7 with LTL Flexi Classes.

And there’s plenty more content on our blog too! Why not check out these posts whilst you’re here.

• Learn how to say I love you in Chinese
• Learn how to say thank you in Chinese
• Discover the differences between Cantonese and Mandarin
• Learn about the dialect of Shanghai – Shanghainese

Greetings in Cantonese || FAQs