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Cantonese

Cantonese
Cantonese is a southern Chinese dialect, which is an integral part of Hong Kong’s identity and culture.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
A fan takes a selfie with a cardboard cutout of opera master Lo Ka-ying at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on June 5. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong culture

Opinion | How Hong Kong can take arts and culture to the next level

The city must communicate a clear vision that highlights Hong Kong’s unique position as a cultural East-West bridge.

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Alibaba

Alibaba entertainment group head regrets belittling video-gaming unit, Cantonese

Education in Hong Kong

Cantonese, English use in Hong Kong schools ‘biggest problem’ for new migrants

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Hong Kong society

The Nigerian Instagram blogger sharing bits of his life, culture in Cantonese

From cooking Nigerian food to bringing his girlfriend around Lagos, Adekunbi Hassan Salako has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram.

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“This is for those who think Africa has nothing,” Adekunbi Hassan Salako starts all of his short videos in the same format, speaking in Cantonese, in a bid to appeal to Hongkongers. Photo: Instagram/ kunbifusion
Music

How British-born Chinese singer Mui Zyu is taking back her heritage

Performing at Clockenflap 2024, Mui Zyu – real name Eva Liu – is exploring her Hong Kong heritage after years of feeling disconnected.

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Hong Kong

At Hong Kong’s Tam Jai noodle joint, waitresses are the stars

These ‘Tam Jai jeh jehs’ are not only the backbone of the beloved chain, they’ve even modelled for a fashion show with the Hong Kong Design Institute.

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Hong Kong’s pandas

‘Sichuan-flavoured’ food to help incoming pandas adjust to new Hong Kong home

Pandas will be met by city’s No 2 official in a welcoming ceremony at Hong Kong airport.

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Giant pandas Ke Ke (left) and An An, as they are known in Sichuan, will touch down in Hong Kong on Thursday. Photo: Ocean Park
Music

Music and mutual aid help people from ethnic minorities in Hong Kong

Children learning Cantonese by singing, and a pop-up market for small-business owners, help integrate members of Hong Kong ethnic minorities.

Education in Hong Kong

Language skills a hurdle for mainland pupils arriving under Hong Kong talent drive

Many secondary schools have seen surge in transfer students from mainland relocating with their parents in recent months.

South Korea

My Take | Olympic gaffes over Chinese names show more effort needed in diversity push

Mispronounced Chinese names at the Paris Olympics have become a source of amusement for viewers around the globe.

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China’s Wang Chuqin during his men’s table tennis singles match in the team gold-medal match between China and Sweden at the 2024 Olympic Games at the South Paris Arena in Paris on August 9. Photo: AFP
Education in Hong Kong

Social entrepreneur urges Hong Kong schools to better help non-Chinese speakers

NGO co-founder Manoj Dhar says many schools not adhering to relevant key performance indicators laid out by Education Bureau.

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Students sit for a lesson at the IBEL Rusy and Purviz Shroff Charitable Foundation Kindergarten, which fully opened in April. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police to use public address drones to fight summer rural burglaries

Drones and increased police patrols to be used to combat countryside crime over summer season, when burglary risk increases.

Food and Drinks

Simran Savlani on creating ‘crack sauce’ and hosting dinners on sampans

The F&B consultant on the cultural shocks of her peripatetic childhood, how Covid fired up a culinary career switch and why she is betting big on business-savvy Hong Kong

Artificial intelligence

Google Translate finally supports Cantonese, driven by AI

The Google tool can now translate between Cantonese and 242 other languages by text or voice inputs.

Google Translate has added support for 110 new languages with the help of AI. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Believe it or not, Hong Kong’s culture and nature are the tourist draw

No amount of promotion abroad, free air tickets or mega events will work if Hong Kong does not go big on local arts, culture and ecotourism.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Food and Drinks

Singapore restaurant ignites a char siu controversy with Cantonese insult

Crystal Jade in Singapore has been feeling the heat for a promotional campaign for its char siu – barbecued pork – that employs a Cantonese insult often used on their children by frustrated parents.

Hong Kong culture

Opinion | How learning Cantonese allowed me to fall in love with Hong Kong

Learning Cantonese has helped me to surrender my ego, sense of entitlement and expectations of how Hong Kong is ‘supposed to be’.

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Education in Hong Kong

Just 1 in 10 Hong Kong ethnic minority pupils get city-funded university places

Entrance rate for Chinese-speaking pupils almost three times higher over same period, government figures show.

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Between 1,094 and 1,245 ethnic minority children sat the Diploma of Secondary Education exams annually in the past five years. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong NGO calls for better job assistance for young ethnic minority members

KELY Support Group says schools should provide more career support and companies can benefit from diverse cultural background and talent.

Food and Drinks

Hidden messages in Chinese names of Britain’s Chinese restaurants

A testament to the Chinese love of clever wordplay, Chinese restaurants in Britain often have witty or pun-tastic Chinese names that are like encoded in-jokes for the diaspora.

Hong Kong culture

Editorial | Increase in halal eateries may help bring more Muslim visitors to Hong Kong

As the city courts tourists and investment from the Middle East, the tourism board is considering a new certification system to open doors to more restaurants.

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A halal-certified KFC store in Hong Kong’s Jordan area. Proposed changes to the city’s halal certification system would open doors to more restaurants and better serve its Muslim population. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong talent scheme’s success cannot be taken for granted

A recruitment fair has highlighted concerns about Hong Kong’s high cost of living and the language barrier. These must be addressed if the city is to attract the world’s best

Job seekers line up to enter the 2024 Hong Kong Top Talent Recruitment Fair, hosted by the Hong Kong Top Talent Services Association at Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan. Photo: SCMP / May Tse
Fame and celebrity

Meet James Hong, the 95-year-old actor with over 600 Hollywood acting credits

Veteran actor James Hong may be 95 years old, but he’s showing no signs of ageing or slowing down, with more projects in the pipeline and a recent honour at the TCL Chinese Theatre in LA

Old Hong Kong

Then & Now | All you need to know about soybeans – including their lesbian link

Healthy and full of protein, soybeans have been a popular foodstuff in China for centuries. Here’s how they’re processed, made into products like soy sauce – and used in Cantonese to refer to lesbians.

Tourism

Beyond Lunar New Year: global festivals from Rio to Oktoberfest

A guide to some of the world’s biggest celebrations – the Rio Carnival, Oktoberfest – and some more eclectic events, including a mud festival in South Korea and a sardine festival in Portugal.

Waitresses of the Hofbraeu tent pose with 1 litre beer mugs on the opening day of the 2023 Munich Oktoberfest in Germany. Photo: Getty Images
Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s ethnic minority jobseekers held back by lack of Cantonese: survey

Most surveyed say it’s hard to break out of jobs as deliverymen, security guards and construction workers.

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Kindergarten teacher Nazia Mehmood is an English-language teaching assistant at a local kindergarten. Photo: Edmond So
Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific signs up 100 new mainland Chinese cabin crew

Cathay Pacific says it aims to recruit 1.500 people from across the border by 2025 as it builds back post-coronavirus.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Good English is essential if Hong Kong is to stay successful

Proficiency in English is not just part of Hong Kong’s trilingual policy, it is also needed to engage effectively with international partners and share the China story with global audiences.

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