How to Say "Girl" in Cantonese

女仔

neoi⁵ zai²

The Cantonese word for girl is 女仔 (neoi⁵ zai²). Wiktionary also lists 細路女 / 细路女 (child).

Meaning: young female person (noun)

Ways to say it

“girl” in Cantonese
Cantonese	Romanization (Wiktionary)
女仔	neoi⁵ zai²
細路女 / 细路女	child

The term is used to refer to a girl or a young woman.

The term 女仔 is composed of 女 (female) and 仔 (small/young/offspring), which literally means 'small female'.

While 女仔 (neoi5 zai2) is a general term for a girl or a young woman, 細路女 (sai3 lou6 neoi5) specifically refers to a female child.

To say 'the girl' or 'this girl', you typically add a classifier like 个 (go3) before 女仔.

neoi⁵ zai²

The term 細路 literally translates to 'small road' or 'narrow path', which evolved into a slang term for 'child'.
The character 女 is a pictograph that originally depicted a kneeling woman, reflecting ancient social norms of the era when the character was created.
In Hong Kong, the term 女仔 is frequently used by adults to refer to women in their twenties or thirties, far beyond the age of a 'girl'.

呢個女仔邊個嚟㗎？
Who is this girl?
This sentence is useful for asking about the identity of a specific 女仔.
Tatoeba #502767 by nickyeow, translation #58453 by CK
你個女唔係女仔喇。
Your daughter isn't a girl anymore.
This sentence is useful for clarifying that a daughter is no longer a 女仔.
Tatoeba #4465839 by kaenif, translation #703141 by papabear
個女仔同佢阿媽好似樣。
The girl resembles her mother.
This sentence is useful for describing a resemblance involving a 女仔.
Tatoeba #678893 by nickyeow, translation #46478 by CK
19 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are walking in a park.

子健 Tsz Kin

雅婷，嗰個女仔係邊個？
nga5 ting4, go2 go3 neoi5 zai2 hai6 bin1 go3?
Ah Ting, who is that girl?
雅婷 Nga Ting

佢係我個朋友。
keoi5 hai6 ngo5 go3 pang4 jau5.
She is my friend.
子健 Tsz Kin

佢睇落好似你。
keoi5 tai2 lok6 hou2 ci5 nei5.
She looks like you.
雅婷 Nga Ting

係咩？我唔覺得。
hai6 me1? ngo5 m4 gok3 dak1.
Really? I don't think so.

Sources

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