啤酒
be¹ zau²
啤酒 (be¹ zau²) is the Cantonese word for beer.
The word refers to the alcoholic beverage made of malt.
Meaning: alcoholic drink made of malt (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The first character 啤 is a phonetic loanword from the English word 'beer'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting beer, you must use a classifier. Use the classifier 杯 (bui1), meaning 'glass' or 'cup', for a glass of beer or use the classifier 支 (zi1) for a bottle or can of beer.
How do you pronounce it?
be¹ zau²
Did you know?
- When ordering a draft beer, you might hear the word 生 (sang1), meaning 'raw' or 'fresh', added to the description to indicate it is not bottled.
- In some traditional Cantonese contexts, beer is categorized as a 'cold' food or drink, meaning it may be avoided by those following TCM principles during recovery from illness.
- The classifier 支 (zi1) used for a bottle of 啤酒 also means 'branch', reflecting an ancient linguistic habit of using long, thin objects as a reference for the classifier.
Examples in context
- 佢嗌咗杯啤酒。He ordered a beer.This sentence shows how to use 啤酒 when ordering.Tatoeba #692058 by nickyeow, translation #530595 by wma
- 渠釀咗啲啤酒。He brewed some beer.This sentence demonstrates the use of 啤酒 in the context of brewing.Tatoeba #12065381 by thesilhouette, translation #8928815 by sundown
- 一杯啤酒吖唔該。May I have a glass of beer, please?This sentence is useful for politely requesting 啤酒.Tatoeba #5734184 by nickyeow, translation #880557 by CK
- 你想唔想飲啤酒？Do you want to drink beer?
- 好啊！我想飲上等啤酒。Sure! I want to drink premium beer.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chi Keung and Ka Yan are looking at a menu at a restaurant.
- 志強 Chi Keung你想飲咩嘢？nei5 soeng2 jam2 me1 je5?What do you want to drink?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan我想飲杯啤酒。ngo5 soeng2 jam2 bui1 piu4 zau2.I want to drink a glass of beer.
- 志強 Chi Keung好，我都嗌啤酒。hou2, ngo5 dou1 ai3 piu4 zau2.Okay, I'll order beer too.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan咁就正喇！gam2 zau6 zing3 laa3!That's great then!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beer” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
