so1 faa2梳化
Jyutpingso1 faa2
Yalesō fá
Definition
Sofa or couch; an upholstered chair or bench with a backrest and armrests.
colloquialhome
How it's used
Derived directly from the English word sofa, this term is the standard way to refer to the piece of furniture in Hong Kong. It is almost exclusively used in casual or domestic settings, as formal settings might prefer the term 沙發, which is more common in written Chinese or Mandarin contexts. You will frequently hear it used with the classifier 張 for a single unit or 套 when referring to a complete set.
Measure word
zoeng1張jēungExamples
I fell asleep on the sofa.
Do you like this sofa or that one?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse the pronunciation with the Mandarin term 沙發. While the characters might look similar in some contexts, the Cantonese pronunciation of 梳化 is distinct and specifically mimics the English sound.
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.
