zou2 caan1早餐
Jyutpingzou2 caan1
Yalejóu chāan
Definition
Breakfast; the first meal of the day eaten in the morning.
neutralfoodtime
How it's used
While 早餐 is the standard term, locals often use the term 早晨 to refer to the morning period itself, but never to the meal. In casual settings, people might simply refer to the meal by the time of day, such as 朝早食啲嘢. It is common to pair this with the verb 食, though some might use 嘆 to imply a more relaxed, leisurely breakfast experience.
Measure word
caan1餐chānExamples
Have you eaten breakfast today?
I'm in a rush for work in the morning, so I usually don't eat breakfast.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 早餐 with 早晨, as the latter only refers to the time of day or a greeting, not the food itself.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
