# Cantonese

Pronunciation: say "kan-tuh-NEEZ" US /kæn.təˈniz/, UK /kæn.təˈniːz/

## Noun

1. A Sinitic language spoken mainly in Guangdong (Canton), Hong Kong, and Macau, as well as by Chinese minorities in Southeast Asia and many overseas Chinese worldwide.
   - Simple: A Chinese language spoken in southern China, Hong Kong, Macau, and by Chinese people in many countries.
   - _He picked up Cantonese during five years of working in Hong Kong._
   - _The market vendors switched between Cantonese and Mandarin depending on the customer._
6. An inhabitant of Guangzhou (Canton), or a person of Cantonese descent.
   - Simple: A person who comes from Guangzhou in southern China, or whose family came from there.
   - _The shop's owner, a Cantonese by birth, imports tea from his home province._
   - _Thousands of Cantonese crossed the Pacific to work in California during the Gold Rush._
7. The dialect of Cantonese spoken in Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong, and Macau, treated as the standard form of the language.
   - Simple: The form of Cantonese that people speak in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau, and treat as the standard.
   - _Migrants from rural Guangdong often shift from their home dialects to Cantonese after settling in Guangzhou._
   - _Hong Kong television and film helped establish Cantonese as the region's standard spoken variety._

## Adjective

2. Relating to the Cantonese language.
   - Simple: Connected to the Cantonese language, like its words, sounds, or writing.
   - _The app drills Cantonese tones with short listening exercises._
   - _The film's subtitles include Cantonese romanization for language learners._
3. Relating to Cantonese cuisine, the style of cooking associated with Guangdong and Hong Kong.
   - Simple: About food cooked in the Cantonese style, which comes from southern China.
   - _The hotel's Cantonese kitchen is known for its roast goose and dim sum._
   - _Cantonese cooking favors fresh ingredients and light, careful seasoning._
4. Relating to the city of Guangzhou (also known as Canton) or to the province of Guangdong.
   - Simple: About the city of Guangzhou or the larger area of Guangdong in southern China.
   - _Nineteenth-century Cantonese ports handled much of China's trade with the West._
   - _The delegation toured Cantonese factories across the Pearl River Delta._
5. Relating to the Cantonese people.
   - Simple: Connected to Cantonese people or their culture and way of life.
   - _Cantonese communities took root in cities from San Francisco to Sydney._
   - _Cantonese opera remains a treasured art form among older generations._

## Origin

Formed from Canton (the city and region) with the suffix -ese.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/cantonese (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).