唐人街
tong⁴ jan⁴ gaai¹
Chinatown in Cantonese is expressed through several terms, most commonly 唐人街 (tong⁴ jan⁴ gaai¹). Wiktionary also lists 華埠 / 华埠 (waa⁴ fau⁶) and 中國城 / 中国城 (zung¹ gwok³ sing⁴).
Meaning: a Chinese district outside China (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 唐人街 | tong⁴ jan⁴ gaai¹ |
| 華埠 / 华埠 | waa⁴ fau⁶ |
| 中國城 / 中国城 | zung¹ gwok³ sing⁴ |
These terms refer to a Chinese district located outside of China.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 唐人街 literally means 'Tang People Street', which uses the Tang Dynasty as a cultural symbol for the Chinese people.
Which one should you use?
唐人街 is the most common and natural way to say 'Chinatown' in everyday Cantonese conversation. In contrast, 華埠 is a more formal term and 中國城 is a more literal expression meaning 'China City'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
華埠 is a formal or written term often found in literature or official documents.
How do you pronounce it?
tong⁴ jan⁴ gaai¹
Did you know?
- If you are in Hong Kong, you will almost never hear 唐人街 used to describe a local neighborhood. Because the entire city is Chinese, the term is reserved strictly for Chinese districts located in foreign countries.
- The use of 唐 ('Tang') in 唐人街 stems from the Tang Dynasty being the golden age of Chinese cosmopolitanism. For centuries, overseas Chinese used this specific dynasty as a shorthand for their overall ethnic identity.
- While 唐人街 describes the district, Cantonese speakers use the specific term 華僑 to refer to the Chinese diaspora population globally.
Examples in context
- 喺華埠買炸春捲係真係好正呀！Buying deep-fried spring rolls in Chinatown is really delicious!
- 我哋去唐人街食飯啦。ngo5 dei6 heoi3 tong4 jan4 gaai1 sik6 faan6 laa1.Let's go to Chinatown to eat.
- 唐人街入面有好多中餐館。tong4 jan4 gaai1 jap6 min6 jau5 hou2 do1 zung1 caan1 gun2.There are many Chinese restaurants in Chinatown.
- 呢度係唔係唐人街？ni1 dou6 hai6 m4 hai6 tong4 jan4 gaai1?Is this Chinatown?
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding where to go for dinner.
- 子健 Tsz Kin曉彤，你想去邊度食呀？hiu2 tung4, nei5 soeng2 heoi3 bin1 dou6 sik6 aa3?Hiu Tung, where do you want to eat?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我想去唐人街食點心。ngo5 soeng2 heoi3 tong4 jan4 gaai1 sik6 dim2 sam1.I want to go to Chinatown to eat dim sum.
- 子健 Tsz Kin好呀，我哋而家就出發。hou2 aa3, ngo5 dei6 ji4 gaa1 zau6 ceot1 faat3.Okay, let's set off now.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung子健，你帶路啦。zi2 gin6, nei5 daai3 lou6 laa1.Zi Kin, you lead the way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chinatown” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
