Daily Life
Time, days, and daily routines
This unit gives you the Cantonese you need to talk about everyday life. You will name the seven days, split the day into morning, afternoon, and night, tell the time on a clock, and string together the verbs that fill a normal routine like eating, sleeping, and heading to work.
It is one of the most useful units to learn Cantonese with, because schedules and routines come up in almost every real conversation. By the end you can answer “what day is it?”, say when something happens, and describe your own day from waking up to bed.
- 1
Days of the WeekLearn the seven days - 2
Time of DayMorning, afternoon, evening, night - 3
Telling timeHours, minutes, and clock time - 4
Daily VerbsCommon actions in daily life - 5
My DayWalk through a full daily routine, morning to night 
When things happenGrammar
Test your knowledgeQuiz
Frequently asked questions
How do you say the days of the week in Cantonese?
Most days follow a simple pattern with 星期 (sing1 kei4) plus a number, so Monday is 星期一 (sing1 kei4 jat1) and Friday is 星期五 (sing1 kei4 ng5). Sunday breaks the rule and uses 星期日 (sing1 kei4 jat6).
How do you tell the time in Cantonese?
Hours use 點 (dim2), so 3 o'clock is 三點 (saam1 dim2). Add 半 (bun3) for the half hour, and count 字 (zi6) in five-minute blocks for the minutes.
What Cantonese words describe a daily routine?
This unit covers the core ones, including 食 (sik6) to eat, 瞓 (fan3) to sleep, 返工 (faan1 gung1) to go to work, and 起身 (hei2 san1) to get up. Together they let you walk through a whole day.
Is this Cantonese unit free?
Yes. Every lesson in this unit is free to read online, with audio so you can hear each word and copy the pronunciation. In the YumCha app, your first lesson is free to try, vocabulary practice and flashcards stay free, and a subscription unlocks the full lesson path.