haa6 ng5 caa4下午茶
Jyutpinghaa6 ng5 caa4
Yalehah ńgh chàh
Definition
Afternoon tea; a light meal or snack between lunch and dinner.
colloquialfoodtime
How it's used
Three fifteen is widely considered the quintessential time for this meal, often referred to as 三點三. It serves as a social break in the middle of the workday or a casual catch up with friends. While it can refer to a formal hotel set, in daily life it usually just means grabbing a quick snack or a drink at a local cafe.
Measure word
caan1餐chānExamples
It is 3:15 now, let's go have afternoon tea.
Have you had your afternoon tea today?
Related words
Common phrases
three fifteen (the classic time for afternoon tea)
to have afternoon tea
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the British high tea, which is a much heavier meal. In Hong Kong, this is typically a light snack or a discounted combo meal at a restaurant, not a formal event.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
