平
peng⁴
The Cantonese word for cheap is 平 (peng⁴).
The adjective 平 is used to describe something that is low and/or reduced in price. In casual conversation, you might hear people refer to cheap goods as 平嘢 by adding the word for stuff or things to the adjective.
Meaning: low and/or reduced in price (adj)
Which one should you use?
The opposite of 平 (cheap) is 貴 (expensive).
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that something is 'very cheap', you can place the word 好 (very) before the adjective, resulting in 好平.
How do you pronounce it?
peng⁴
Did you know?
- In some contexts, 平 can be used to describe a 'peaceful' situation, as in 世界和平 (world peace). This is because the character's root meaning involves stability and lack of conflict.
- In Hong Kong, the phrase 平到笑 literally means 'so cheap it makes you laugh'. It is used to describe an absurdly low price.
- The opposite of 平, which is 貴 (expensive), is also the word for 'noble'. This reflects a cultural link between high cost and high social status.
Examples in context
- 我想買啲幾蚊嘅書，知唔知邊度有？I want to buy some cheap books. Do you know where I can find them?
- 呢件衫好平。nei1 gin6 saam1 hou2 peng4.This piece of clothing is very cheap.
- 呢度嘅嘢食好平。nei1 dou6 ge3 je5 sik6 hou2 peng4.The food here is very cheap.
- 我想搵啲平嘢買。ngo5 soeng2 wan2 di1 peng4 je5 maai5.I want to find some cheap things to buy.
Example conversation
Two people are shopping for fruit at a market.
- 志強 Chi Keung呢啲蘋果好平呀。ni1 di1 ping4 gwo2 hou2 ping4 aa3.These apples are very cheap.
- 美玲 Mei Ling真係好平，買幾公斤吧。zan1 hai6 hou2 ping4, maai5 gei2 gung1 zung1 baa1.They really are cheap, let's buy a few kilograms.
- 志強 Chi Keung你睇下嗰邊啲橙係咪平啲？nei5 tai2 haa6 go2 bin1 di1 caang4 hai6 mai6 ping4 di1?Look at the oranges over there, are they cheaper?
- 美玲 Mei Ling唔係，呢邊平啲。m4 hai6, ni1 bin1 ping4 di1.No, it's cheaper over here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheap” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
