siu1 je6宵夜

Jyutpingsiu1 je6

Yalesīu yeh

Uncommon

Definition

Late night snack; a meal or snack eaten late at night after dinner.

colloquialfooddaily actions

How it's used

Eating out for this meal is a quintessential part of local social life, often involving casual spots like cha chaan tengs or dai pai dongs. It is distinct from dinner because it is usually spontaneous and happens well after the standard evening meal. People often use the verb 食 to pair with it, as in 食宵夜.

Measure word

caan1餐chān

Examples

gam1今maan5晚tou5肚ngo6餓，bat1不jyu4如ceot1出heoi3去sik6食siu1宵je2夜laa1啦。

I am hungry tonight, why don't we go out for a late-night snack?

nei5你seng4成jat6日sik6食siu1宵je2夜，hou2好jik6易fei4肥㗎。

You eat late-night snacks all the time, it is easy to gain weight.

Common phrases

sik6食siu1宵je2夜

to have a late-night snack

heoi3去sik6食siu1宵je2夜

to go out for a late-night snack

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 晚餐, which refers to the main evening meal. Using this term to describe a normal dinner will sound strange to native speakers.