床
cong⁴
The English word "bed" is translated into Cantonese as 床 (cong⁴). Wiktionary also lists 床鋪 / 床铺 (cong⁴ pou¹) and 臥榻 / 卧榻 (ngo⁶ taap³).
Meaning: piece of furniture (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 床 | cong⁴ | |
| 床鋪 / 床铺 | cong⁴ pou¹ | |
| 臥榻 / 卧榻 | ngo⁶ taap³ | literary |
The term 床 is used to denote a sleeping platform or the physical structure of a bed. Related terms include 床頭, which literally translates to the head of the bed.
Which one should you use?
While 床 refers to the piece of furniture itself, 床鋪 / 床铺 is used more broadly to refer to the bed and its bedding or linens. 臥榻 / 卧榻 is a separate, highly formal term for a bed or couch.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
床鋪 / 床铺 is a more formal way to refer to the bed and its linens, and 臥榻 / 卧榻 is a highly formal or literary term that is rarely used in daily spoken Cantonese.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, the character 床 is more commonly used than 牀.
How do you pronounce it?
cong⁴
Did you know?
- While 床 is the standard word for bed, the phrase 上床 literally means 'get on bed' and can be used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
- In traditional Feng Shui, the placement of the 床 is strictly governed to avoid 'coffin positions' where the feet point directly toward the door.
- The character 床 is a pictograph that originally depicted a wooden frame with legs, reflecting the ancient Chinese design of raised sleeping platforms.
Examples in context
- 上床之前閂門。Close the door before going to bed.The first sentence shows how to use 床 when talking about the action of going to bed.Tatoeba #4826899 by kaenif, translation #931540 by CM
- 夠鐘上床瞓覺喇。It's time to go to bed.The second sentence uses 床 to express that it is time to go to bed.Tatoeba #1324913 by nickyeow, translation #31220 by CK
- 蕾拉瞓咗喺張床到。Layla was lying on the bed.The third sentence uses 床 to describe someone lying on a bed.Tatoeba #6108632 by nickyeow, translation #6043646 by OsoHombre
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two roommates are discussing the new furniture in their room.
- 家明 Ka Ming呢張床好舒服。ni1 zoeng1 cong4 hou2 syu1 muk6.This bed is very comfortable.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung係呀，張床好大。hai6 aa3, zoeng1 cong4 hou2 daai6.Yes, the bed is very big.
- 家明 Ka Ming曉彤，你鍾意呢張床嗎？hiu2 tung4, nei5 zung1 ji3 ni1 zoeng1 cong4 maa1?Hiu Tung, do you like this bed?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我好鍾意。ngo5 hou2 zung1 ji3.I like it very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bed” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
