zung1 ng5中午
Jyutpingzung1 ng5
Yalejūng ńgh
Definition
Noon; midday; twelve o'clock in the afternoon.
neutraltime
How it's used
While standard in written Chinese, Cantonese speakers often prefer using 午飯 or 食晏 when referring to the meal itself. Using 中午 specifically highlights the time of day rather than the activity of eating. It is perfectly acceptable in speech, but you will hear native speakers frequently use 晏晝 to describe the period from noon until the late afternoon.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Have you eaten lunch yet?
We have an appointment to meet at twelve noon.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 中午 with 晏晝. While 中午 strictly refers to the noon hour, 晏晝 is a broader term that can cover the entire afternoon period, making it more versatile in casual conversation.
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.
