Understand what your parents and grandparents say before, during and after a home-cooked meal, with simple Cantonese phrases for heritage learners.
If you grew up in a Cantonese-speaking home, the dinner table was probably where you heard the most Cantonese. Someone called everyone to eat, someone else urged you to take more, and a relative asked whether you were really full. You understood all of it, yet when it was your turn to reply, the words may have stuck. This guide gathers the phrases that fly around a family meal, so you can answer with confidence and, perhaps, make a grandparent smile.
In many homes, cooking is an act of love, and announcing that food is ready is the first step of the ritual. The cook will often say 開飯 ( hōi faahn , hoi1 faan6), which means dinner is served. You may also hear the plain 食飯 ( sihk faahn , sik6 faan6), literally "eat rice", which is the everyday way of saying "come and eat" or "let's have a meal".
Useful things to say or hear at this stage:
洗手 ( sái sáu , sai2 sau2): wash your hands, a classic parental reminder.
煮飯 ( jyú faahn , zyu2 faan6): to cook the meal or cook the rice.
Cantonese hosts and parents show affection by feeding you. Expect to be told 食多啲 ( sihk dō dī , sik6 do1 di1), "eat a bit more", several times. Another familiar line is 飲湯 ( yám tōng , jam2 tong1), "drink your soup", since a bowl of soup is often part of a home meal. If you would like a second helping of rice, you can ask for 添飯 ( tīm faahn , tim1 faan6).
When someone is about to start eating, you might hear 慢慢食 ( maahn máan sihk , maan6 maan2 sik6), which means "take your time and enjoy it". It is a gentle phrase that works for guests as well as family.
Praise is welcome, and it does not need to be elaborate. The two most useful compliments are:
好食 ( hóu sihk , hou2 sik6): tasty, delicious.
好飽 ( hóu báau , hou2 baau2): very full, said with a contented smile.
Saying 好食 after the first mouthful is one of the easiest ways to show that you are paying attention. Parents and grandparents tend to remember it.
Cantonese has two common ways to say thank you, and the difference matters. 唔該 ( m̀h gōi , m4 goi1) thanks someone for a service or a favour, such as passing the soy sauce or serving you rice. 多謝 ( dō jeh , do1 ze6) thanks someone for a gift or for something generous, such as a feast they cooked for the whole family. At the table, you will often use both in a single meal.
When you truly cannot eat another bite, say 我飽喇 ( ngóh báau la , ngo5 baau2 laa3), "I am full". Do not be surprised if you are offered more food anyway. A polite refusal is often part of the game, and the host may try again.
Many Cantonese-speaking families greet each other with a question about food rather than about feelings. 食咗飯未 ( sihk jó faahn meih , sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6) means "have you eaten yet?" It is a way of saying "I care about you", and it is worth learning as both a question you can ask and one you will hear often. A simple reply is to say you have eaten, or that you have not yet, and your relative will probably know what to do next.
Offering to help is a lovely way to show respect. You can say you will do the dishes with 洗碗 ( sái wún , sai2 wun2), or offer to tidy the table with 收拾 ( sāu sahp , sau1 sap6). If someone thanks you for helping, a gracious reply is 唔使客氣 ( m̀h sái haak hei , m4 sai2 haak3 hei3), meaning "no need to be polite".
Try choosing three phrases from this list and using them at your next family meal. Small, steady practice at home is often more powerful than any textbook, and your family will probably be delighted. For the words to use with each person at the table, you may also like our guide to Cantonese family titles .
When you are ready to turn what you hear at home into spoken Cantonese you can use, there is a friendly place to begin. Start free on CantonLink