Learning 11 Important Cantonese Rooms In The House

8 min readJun 23, 2021

Original blog post: https://ling-app.com/yue/cantonese-rooms-in-the-house/

Have you been in a room 房 (fong2) of a typical Hong Konger’s house 房子 (fong4 zi2)? Widening your vocabulary about Cantonese rooms in the house will make you feel at home when you visit Hong Kong. One interesting fact about Hong Kong is that about half of Hong Kong residents live in public housing. So, if you are planning to go to Hong Kong, learning some vocabulary about Cantonese rooms in the house might be helpful for you if you find hotel rooms expensive.

房子 (fong4 zi2) And 屋 (Wū) What’s The Difference?

If you are a beginner in learning Cantonese rooms in the house, you might be confused between 房子 (fong4 zi2) and (屋Wū). 房子 (fong4 zi2) is the Cantonese translation of the word “house” while 屋 (Wū) is Mandarin. The latter word is another Chinese language which is Mandarin.

Cantonese is also known as traditional Chinese, while Mandarin is simplified Chinese to give you a quick difference between the two languages. One of the similarities between these two languages is they are both sensitive in pronunciation. But, if you want to learn more about the difference between the two Chinese languages, we have a separate blog for you. This is really important because they differ in many aspects, both in written and spoken language.

How Do You Say Room And House In Cantonese?

Before we learn the Cantonese rooms in the house, let us first learn how to say room and house in Cantonese.

House
Cantonese: 房子 (fong4 zi2)
Room
Cantonese: 房 (fong2)

Identifying Cantonese Rooms In The House

“There’s no place like home,” they say. Every room in the house is important. In fact, upon growing up, this is one of the first vocabularies we learn not because our parents want to do so but because it is part of our daily lives. Eventually, this house will slowly build memories, and it will turn into the home that we value and cherish — no wonder why we value every room in our house.

So, to get you started, here are the common rooms in the house in Cantonese. Make sure to learn both the written characters and their pronunciation.

1. Bedroom — 睡房 (seoi6 fong2)

Bedroom 睡房 (seoi6 fong2) is where we sleep 睡覺 (seoi6 gaau3) and rest 休息 (jau1 sik1). The character 睡 (seoi6) means “to sleep,” while 房 (fong2) is “room.” This is a very private room for most of us, and we don’t usually allow guests 客 (haak3) in here.

And because we are mentioned sleeping, why not learn how to say Goodnight in Cantonese also?

Here are some vocabularies related to the bedroom:

2. Living Room — 客廳 (haak3 teng1)

Next is the room where we entertain guests, which is the living room 客廳 (haak3 teng1). To break it down, the Chinese character 客 (haak3) means “guests” in English while 廳 (teng1) means “big room.” So, it means “a big room where your guests can sit.” You can do many things with your guests in the living room like watching a TV show, drinking coffee, and more.

Conversations will really happen here when you have guests so, why not try to learn some Cantonese greetings to break the ice?

Here are some vocabularies related to the living room:

3. Dining Room — 飯廳 (faan6 teng1)

Many people would agree that one of our favorite rooms in our house is the dining room 飯廳 (faan6 teng1). The Chinese character 飯 (faan6) means “rice” in English, or “a meal”; so a big room for rice, to eat, means the dining room. This is not just about the food but because families usually gather here while eating happily. Spending time eating with each other as a whole family is a great experience that you’ll always treasure for the rest of your life.

While talking to your family, it is nice to check them out by asking “How are you?” so learning how to ask “How are you?” in Cantonese will really be essential.

Here are some vocabularies related to the dining room:

4. Kitchen — 廚房 (cyu4 fong2)

The kitchen 廚房 (cyu4 fong2) is the room for food lovers. This room is for cooking 烹飪 (paang1 jam6) food 食物 (sik6 mat6). There are houses where both the kitchen and dining room are located in the same room. You can find different cooking equipment used to prepare food in this room.

Since we are talking about food, here are some Cantonese food that you can try to appreciate their culture more.

Here are some vocabularies related to the kitchen:

5. Bathroom — 廁所 (ci3 so2)

If you have guests, they may look for your bathroom to attend to their needs. It is important always to clean your bathroom, especially if you are always receiving guests. You don’t want to be hearing expressions like “你個廁所好臭呀。(nei5 go3 ci3 so2 hou2 cau3 aa3.) “Your bathroom stinks.” “Your bathroom smells.”

Hong Kongers can be kind enough to let you use their bathroom in case of an emergency. So, it would be helpful if you learn the basic Cantonese words and phrases.

Here are some vocabularies related to the bathroom:

6. Washroom — 洗手間 (sai2 sau2 gaan1)

There are houses where they have separate washrooms 洗手間 (sai2 sau2 gaan1). Washrooms are mainly for freshening up, washing hands, brushing teeth, and retouching make-up.

Here are some vocabularies related to the washroom:

7. Guest Room- 客房 (haak3 fong2)

The guest room 客房 (haak3 fong2) is where you let your guests stay when they want to spend the night at your house. Make sure to give only your home address to those you are comfortable with to avoid unexpected guests.

Here are some vocabularies related to the guest room:

8. Attic — 閣樓 (gok3 lau2)

Not all houses have an attic 閣樓 (gok3 lau2). This is where people usually store their old stuff at home. Attics cans also serve as an extra room because it is spacious and can fit a single bed.

9. Garden 花園 (faa1 jyun2)

For plant lovers, they would definitely have their own garden at home 花園 (faa1 jyun2). Having your own garden may help you release stress and pollution because of the plants. The space for your garden might also be used to entertain guests.

Here are some vocabularies related to the garden:

Gardens are also a good place to hold parties and have drinks because the air is fresh, and the vibe outside is really different. So, why not add the different ways to say “Cheers” in Cantonese to your vocabulary list?

10. Basement — 地庫 (dei6 fu3)

If you have a basement 地庫 (dei6 fu3), your house might be huge. Basements can be completely or partly below the ground floor.

Here are some vocabularies related to the basement:

11. Office — 公司 (gung1 si1)

Nowadays, most houses have a space to use as their office 公司 (gung1 si1). This is where people work, continue unfinished tasks at work, and sometimes it could be used for studying.

Here are some vocabularies related to the office:

Let’s Put Cantonese Rooms In The House Vocabulary Into Sentences

Now that you have lots of words related to Cantonese rooms in the house added to your vocabulary, you may now use them in sentences. Try practicing these sentences:

Learn Cantonese From The Comfort Of Your Home

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