靚 / 靓
leng³
The Cantonese word for beautiful is 靚 / 靓 (leng³). Wiktionary also lists 好睇 (hou² tai²) and 漂亮 (piu³ loeng⁶).
Meaning: attractive (adj)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 靚 / 靓 | leng³ | |
| 好睇 | hou² tai² | |
| 漂亮 | piu³ loeng⁶ | formal |
| 美麗 / 美丽 | mei⁵ lai⁶ | formal |
The most common way to express that something or someone is beautiful or pretty is to use 靚 / 靓. In colloquial speech, you can say something is 'very beautiful' by adding 好 (hou2) before it to form 好靚.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 好睇 literally means 'good to look at', composed of 好 (good) and 睇 (to look).
Which one should you use?
靚 / 靓 is the most versatile and common colloquial term for 'beautiful' or 'pretty', often applied to people or objects. In contrast, 好睇 is frequently used for things that are visually pleasing to the eye, such as a movie, a piece of clothing or a design.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
漂亮 is a written-style term. For highly formal, literary contexts, such as formal speeches or describing grand scenery and abstract beauty, use 美麗 / 美丽.
How do you pronounce it?
leng³
Did you know?
- The word 靚 is a distinct Cantonese character that is rarely used in standard Mandarin. In Mandarin, speakers would typically use 漂亮 or 美, making 靚 a linguistic marker of Cantonese identity.
- In Cantonese slang, the word 靚 can be used to describe something that is 'great' or 'excellent' in quality, regardless of its appearance.
- While it literally means 'good to look at', 好睇 is the standard way to say a movie or a book is 'interesting' or 'worth watching'.
Examples in context
- 你今日好靚，好似明星咁You look beautiful today, like a superstar!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
