銀行 / 银行
The Cantonese word for bank is 銀行 / 银行.
The term is used to refer to a banking institution.
Meaning: institution (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of two parts: 銀, which means silver and 行, which refers to a business or trade establishment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Macau, the term Ngan Hang is widely used and understood.
Did you know?
- The character 行 in 銀行 is pronounced 'hong' instead of the more common 'haang' used for 'to walk'. This is a specific pronunciation reserved for certain business names and establishments.
- In Hong Kong, people often use the English word 'bank' directly within a Cantonese sentence instead of saying 銀行.
- The concept of a 'bank' as an institution is relatively modern in Chinese linguistic history, as the term was heavily influenced by the translation of Western banking models during the late 19th century.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bank” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
