haa6 wai1 ji4夏威夷
Jyutpinghaa6 wai1 ji4
Yalehah wāi yìh
Definition
Hawaii; a state of the United States.
colloquialplacestravel
How it's used
Pronunciation in Cantonese often shifts the final syllable to sound more like a high-pitched 'i' sound, reflecting the local adaptation of the English name. It is almost exclusively used in the context of travel or vacations, as it represents a quintessential tropical getaway for many Hong Kong people.
Examples
Are you going to travel to Hawaii this year?
I really want to go to Hawaii to sunbathe.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
