zou2 si5早市
Jyutpingzou2 si5
Yalejóu síh
Definition
The morning session of a Chinese restaurant, typically serving dim sum, often with special discounts.
colloquialdim sumfood
How it's used
Refers specifically to the early morning period at a restaurant, typically ending before the lunch rush. It is synonymous with the concept of morning tea, where patrons gather for dim sum at discounted prices. The term is deeply tied to the local culture of elderly residents frequenting restaurants right after they open.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Let's go to the restaurant for the morning dim sum session tomorrow.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the general term for a morning market selling fresh produce, which is also called 早市 in other Chinese-speaking regions. In a Hong Kong context, if you are talking about food, it almost exclusively implies a restaurant setting.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
