lai5 baai3 mei5禮拜尾礼拜尾
Jyutpinglai5 baai3 mei5
Yaleláih baai méih
Definition
Weekend.
colloquialtime
How it's used
While 週末 is understood in Hong Kong, it sounds slightly more formal or written. 禮拜尾 is the standard way to refer to the weekend in daily spoken Cantonese. It literally translates to the end of the week, which aligns perfectly with the local perception of Saturday and Sunday.
Examples
Do you have any plans for the weekend?
I spend the whole weekend sleeping at home.
Related words
Common phrases
to have the weekend off
to spend the weekend
Common mistake
Avoid using 週末 in casual conversation as it can sound a bit stiff or like you are reading from a newspaper. Stick to 禮拜尾 or the even more common 星期六日 when talking to friends.
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.
