早唞
zou² tau²informal
The English phrase 'good night' is expressed in Cantonese as 早唞 (zou² tau²). Wiktionary also lists 晚安 (maan⁵ on¹).
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 早唞 | zou² tau² | informal |
| 晚安 | maan⁵ on¹ | formal |
In Cantonese, the choice of phrase depends on whether you are actually going to sleep or simply saying goodbye in the evening. 早唞 is used specifically when someone is actually going to bed. You can also use phrases like 想你喇，晚安 to mean 'thinking of you, good night' or 祝你美夢 to mean 'wishing you sweet dreams'.
What does it mean word for word?
The informal phrase 早唞 literally means 'early rest', while the formal phrase 晚安 literally means 'late peace'.
Which one should you use?
Use 早唞 (zou2 tau2) with friends and family. The phrase 晚安 (maan5 on1) is more formal and sounds like a direct translation of the English 'good night'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
早唞 is the informal form. You can also use the informal version 晚安喇 or 想你喇，晚安. 晚安 is the formal form.
How do you pronounce it?
zou² tau²
Did you know?
- The phrase 早唞 is a 'diglossia' example, where the spoken Cantonese character 唞 is used instead of the standard written Chinese character 休 for 'rest'.
- In many Cantonese-speaking households, saying 早唞 is not just a polite goodbye, but is often used as a functional command to children to stop playing and go to sleep.
- While 晚安 (maan5 on1) is a direct equivalent to 'good night', using it in an extremely casual setting with close siblings might actually sound strangely stiff or even sarcastic.
Examples in context
- 早唞啦Good night!
- 早唞啦，我好攰。zou2 tau3 laa1, ngo5 hou2 gui6.Good night, I am very tired.
- 早唞，聽日見。zou2 tau3, ting1 jat6 gin3.Good night, see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Meiling and Zikien are finishing a phone call late at night.
- 美玲 Mei Ling唔早啲瞓就唔好喇，早唞！m4 zou2 di1 fan3 zau6 m4 hou2 laa3, zou2 tau2!You should sleep early, good night!
- 子健 Tsz Kin好，你都早唞。hou2, nei5 dou1 zou2 tau2.Okay, you have a good night too.
- 美玲 Mei Ling早唞，拜拜！zou2 tau2, baai1 baai1!Good night, bye-bye!
- 子健 Tsz Kin拜拜！baai1 baai1!Bye-bye!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
