Good Morning In Cantonese: 10 Best Ways

6 min readJan 31, 2023

Original blog post: https://ling-app.com/yue/good-morning-in-cantonese/

Mornings are the best when started nicely, like a nice morning greeting. Today, let’s learn how to say Good Morning in Cantonese (早晨 zou2 san4)

They say that the way you start your day determines how well you live your day. One of the best ways to start your day is by sharing positivity and greeting the people around you. This is why greetings like “Good morning” is important to learn.

If you’re learning how to speak Cantonese, greetings are one of the must-learn words. “Good Morning” is one of the basic greetings that you need to learn if you’re in a foreign country like Hong Kong. Starting the day with a warm and lively greeting like “Good Morning” can make anyone’s day brighter. It is also an act of courtesy and a good conversation starter.

In this blog, we will learn how to say “Good morning” in Cantonese as well as its Cantonese pronunciation.

How To Say Good Morning In Cantonese?

Cantonese is the Chinese language spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong Province in Mainland China. You might be confused with another Chinese language that you’ll often hear, which is Mandarin. It is spoken in Mainland China and Taiwan. So, when you hear the greeting “早上好 (Zǎoshang hǎo), it’s “Good morning” in Mandarin.

In this blog, we will learn how to say “Good morning” in Cantonese. When you’re in a foreign land like Hong Kong, you need to show respect and courtesy to the native people. Of course, you can always speak English if you want to, but it’s still nice if the Hong Koners feel that you’re using their language. Here is how to say “Good Morning” in Cantonese Chinese that you can use in greeting Hong Kongers.

早晨！(Zou2 San4) — Good Morning

The most common way of saying Good Morning in Cantonese is “早晨! (zou2 san4)”. You can use it in almost every situation, like in the workplace, on phone calls, or just in daily conversations with your friends.

When a person greets you with “Good Morning,” you can simply respond the same way. There are also other Cantonese greetings like “Good evening” (晚安 maan5 ngon1), “Good night” (早抖 zou2 dau2), and Good afternoon (午安 ng5 ngon1).

早晨，陽光明媚 (Zou2 San4, Joeng4 Gwong1 Ming4 Mei6) — Good Morning, Sunshine!

Another way of saying “Good morning” in Cantonese is 早晨，陽光明媚 (zou2 san4, joeng4 gwong1 ming4 mei6). This phrase literally translates to “Good morning, it’s sunny!” This is a sweeter kind of greeting.

該起床了！(Goi1 Hei2 Cong4 Liu5 !) — Rise And Shine!

We are also used to saying “Rise and shine!” when we’re trying to wake someone up. It’s another way of saying “Good morning.” This phrase literally means “It’s time to get up!” but we often use the expression “Rise and shine.”

早晨，慾睡嘅頭 (Zou2 San4, Juk6 Seoi6 Ge3 Tau4) — Good Morning, Sleepy Head!

When someone seems so sleepy, and they haven’t gotten out of bed, you can use 早晨，慾睡嘅頭 zou2 san4, juk6 seoi6 ge3 tau4). This is also a cute way of saying “Good morning” to someone really close to you.

喚醒，喚醒 (Wun6 Sing2, Wun6 Sing2) — Wakey, Wakey!

This phrase literally means “Wake up,” but, to make it cuter, it became “wakey.” You’ll mostly see this in chats or text messages. You can also hear this expression used to talk to little children as we want to wake them up very gently.

一切順利 (Jat1 Cai3 Seon6 Lei6) — Have A Good Day

Another way of saying “Good morning” is by using the expression “Have a good day!” It’s a nice thing to say to someone when the day starts. It lightens the mood, and it can also make someone’s day brighter. Wishing someone to have a good day is also an act of courtesy and also shows sincerity towards the person.

出面好好天喎，係咪？(Ceot1 Min6 Hou2 Hou2 Tin1 Wo3, Hai6 Mai6?) — Nice Day Outside, Isn’t It?

The phrase 出面好好天喎，係咪？ (ceot1 min6 hou2 hou2 tin1 wo3, hai6 mai6?) is not just a way of greeting someone “Good morning.” It’s also an expression that you can use to check on someone’s feelings for that day. They may respond “No” if they are not having a great day.

This phrase can also be used to invite someone out, maybe for a drink or a meal. It simply implies that the day is very nice, which is perfect for doing something fun outside.

你今日好精神。(Nei5 Gam1 Jat6 Hou2 Zing1 San4.) — You Look Great Today

Compliments can indeed brighten someone’s day; that’s why they can also be used as another way of saying “Good morning.” Compliments can also promote positivity which is essential when starting our day. If somebody says this to you, simply respond with “Thank you (唔該. m4 goi1.)” to express gratitude.

你想食啲早餐咩？(Nei5 Soeng2 Sik6 Di1 Zou2 Caan1 Me1) — Do You Want Some Breakfast?

One of the best ways to start the day is to have a great breakfast meal. It brightens your day, and it also improves your well-being. Cantonese cuisine has a lot of delicious breakfast food to try.

Because Hong Kong used to be a British colony, its breakfast food is different from that of Cantonese. Its East-Meets-West culture has led to a cuisine that is unique to Hong Kong. It is a mix of Cantonese and English flavors. Even though Hong Kong-style restaurants serve the typical Cantonese you tiao crullers and congee, it’s the things that are only found in Hong Kong that stand out.

我昨晚夢見你 (Ngo5 Zok6 Maan5 Mung6 Gin3 Nei5) — I Dreamt Of You Last Night

If you want to be extra sweet in saying “Good morning”, you can also say 我昨晚夢見你 (ngo5 zok6 maan5 mung6 gin3 nei5). This may also be a form of saying Good morning because you’re actually letting the other person feel that you think of them first thing in the morning.

Basic Cantonese Phrases And Words Related To Morning

The phrases introduced above are the different ways to say Good morning in Cantonese. In this part of the blog, you will learn some Cantonese phrases related to morning.

Start Your Morning Right. Learn Cantonese With Ling App Now!

Wanna make your mornings extra special? Spend a few minutes of your time answering bite-sized lessons in Ling App that will definitely improve your language skills. Treat yourself to lots of fun and effective lessons. There are audio and video files that you can use in learning Cantonese. Widen your understanding of the culture in Hong Kong by reading about Cantonese blogs.