享受
hoeng² sau⁶
The Cantonese word for "enjoy" is 享受 (hoeng² sau⁶).
享受 is used to describe receiving pleasure or satisfaction from something. It is typically used for abstract enjoyment, such as enjoying life or silence or for high-level sensory enjoyment, such as enjoying a luxury or a meal.
Meaning: to receive pleasure or satisfaction from something (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 享 (hoeng2), meaning to enjoy or receive and 受 (sau6), meaning to receive or endure.
Which one should you use?
While 享受 describes the state of enjoying an experience, the colloquial word 玩 (waan2) is more commonly used to express the casual act of "playing" or "having fun."
How do you pronounce it?
hoeng² sau⁶
Did you know?
- The character 享 (hoeng2) originally referred to the act of presenting food offerings to ancestors, linking the idea of 'enjoyment' to a sacred feast.
- The character 受 (sau6) in 享受 can also mean 'to suffer' or 'to endure' in other contexts, such as 受苦 (sau6 fu2) for suffering.
- Because 享受 implies a high level of satisfaction, using it for a mundane task can be a form of irony or sarcasm in Hong Kong colloquial speech.
Examples in context
- 大部分玩家都趕住享受遊戲結束內容，而我就坐喺拍賣場享受套利嘅遊戲：當我留意到啲物品嗰陣就平啲買，然後以略低於正常價錢轉賣畀其他玩家，享受利潤。呢個係咪真係玩遊戲？喂，我好開心噉玩緊，噉點解唔去？Most of the players are rushing to enjoy endgame content, while I'm sitting here at the auction house enjoying the game of arbitrage: buying items cheaply when I notice them, then reselling them to other players at slightly under the normal price, and enjoying the profit. Is this really gaming? Hey, I'm having fun with it, so why not?This sentence shows how one might enjoy the process of arbitrage and profit within a game.Tatoeba #13489339 by Davidgo5867, translation #13099823 by Arkylie
- 今晚唱K，記得要玩得開心哦！Singing karaoke tonight, remember to have fun!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Meiling and Kam Ming are eating at a nice restaurant.
- 美玲 Mei Ling呢度嘅食物好正，你享受唔享受？ne1 dyu2 ge3 sik6 mat6 hou2 zeng3, nei5 hoeng2 sau2 m4 hoeng2 sau2?The food here is great, are you enjoying it?
- 家明 Ka Ming好享受呀，尤其係呢個甜品。hou2 hoeng2 sau2 aa3, jau4 kei4 si6 ne1 go3 tim4 ban2.I'm really enjoying it, especially this dessert.
- 美玲 Mei Ling我哋應該經常嚟呢度享受下。ngo5 dei6 jing1 goi1 ging1 soeng4 lai4 ne1 dyu2 hoeng2 sau2 haa5.We should come here to enjoy ourselves more often.
- 家明 Ka Ming冇問題，下次我請你。mou5 man6 tai4, ha6 ci3 ngo5 cing2 nei5.No problem, next time is on me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “enjoy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
