soeng1 hong4商行
Jyutpingsoeng1 hong4
Yalesēung hòhng
Definition
A trading company, commercial firm, or hong.
neutralwork
How it's used
Historically, this term refers to the traditional trading houses that operated in the Pearl River Delta during the Qing dynasty. In modern Hong Kong, it is often used in the names of older, established businesses or family-run import-export firms. It carries a slightly formal or traditional business connotation compared to modern terms like 公司.
Measure word
gaan1間gānExamples
He has worked at this trading firm for many years.
Related words
Common phrases
long-established trading firm
trading firm business
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it might be used more broadly for any business. In Cantonese, it specifically evokes the image of a traditional trading house or a firm involved in logistics and import-export.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
