gwong2 dung1 jan4廣東人广东人
Jyutpinggwong2 dung1 jan4
Yalegwóng dūng yàhn
Definition
Cantonese people; people who live in or trace their ancestry to Guangdong.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Identity as a Cantonese person is often tied closely to the ability to speak the language rather than just ancestral origin. While it refers to people from the Guangdong region, in Hong Kong, it is frequently used to distinguish the local linguistic and cultural group from other Chinese groups. It carries a strong sense of cultural pride and regional belonging.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is a native-born Cantonese person.
Do you know how to speak Cantonese, Cantonese person?
Related words
Common phrases
native-born Cantonese person
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with Hong Kong people, which is 香港人. While many Hong Kong people are ethnically Cantonese, the two terms are not interchangeable in political or social contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
