haa1 ngaa5 naa5哈瓦那
Jyutpinghaa1 ngaa5 naa5
Yalehā ngáh náh
Definition
Havana, the capital city of Cuba.
neutralplacestravel
How it's used
While 哈瓦那 is the standard modern transliteration for the Cuban capital, many older generations or those familiar with traditional Cantonese naming conventions prefer 夏灣拿. Both are understood, but 夏灣拿 carries a more nostalgic or classic feel in Cantonese media and literature. It is common to see both used interchangeably in news reports or travel writing.
Examples
He is going to travel to Havana next month.
Do you know where Havana is?
Related words
Common phrases
Havana cigar
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
