下晝 / 下昼
haa⁶ zau³
The Cantonese phrase for "afternoon" is 下晝 / 下昼 (haa⁶ zau³).
The term refers to the part of the day between noon and evening.
Meaning: part of the day between noon and evening (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 下晝 literally means "below noon" or "under noon", where 下 means "below/under" and 晝 means "daytime".
Which one should you use?
While 下晝 is the standard term, the colloquial alternative 晏晝 is also very common in daily speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong Cantonese, the preferred expressions for afternoon are 下晝 and 下午.
How do you pronounce it?
haa⁶ zau³
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the word 晏 used in 晏晝 can also be used as an adjective meaning 'late'. If you arrive late for a meeting, you are described as being 晏, linking the concept of 'late' directly to the 'afternoon'.
- In Hong Kong, the distinction between 下晝 and 下午 can signal a speaker's educational background or social setting. 下午 is the standard term taught in schools, while 下晝 is the heartbeat of the streets.
- The character 晝 for 'daytime' is rarely used in other contexts in modern Cantonese except for time-related phrases. In most other scenarios, speakers use 日 to refer to the day or the sun.
Examples in context
- 下晝茶時間係四點。Afternoon tea time is at 4 o'clock.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “afternoon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
