商場
soeng1 coeng4
The Cantonese word for mall is 商場 (soeng1 coeng4).
商場 refers specifically to an enclosed shopping centre. While it is a common way to describe such a facility, it is distinct from a shopping street or a commercial street where shops are located outdoors along a roadway.
Meaning: enclosed shopping centre (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 商場 is composed of the characters 商, meaning business or commerce and 場, meaning place, field or venue, literally translating to a business or commerce place.
Which one should you use?
商場 is used to denote an enclosed shopping mall. In contrast, a street lined with shops would be referred to as a shopping street or commercial street.
How do you pronounce it?
soeng1 coeng4
Did you know?
- In Cantonese culture, the 商場 is often treated as a primary social hub for elderly people to exercise and socialize in air-conditioned comfort to avoid the humidity.
- The term 商場 is also used metaphorically in Cantonese to describe the 'business world' or the 'arena of commerce', much like the English phrase 'the business arena'.
- Because Hong Kong is so densely populated, a 商場 is often integrated directly into residential housing estates, making it a vital part of a person's home life rather than just a destination.
Examples in context
- 喺最近一個星期日下晝，成千幾萬嘅購物者擠滿咗東涌城 Outlets 商場嘅走廊同店舖，呢個係香港其中一個新城鎮發展項目，距離機場淨係一個短暫嘅火車車程。On a recent Sunday afternoon, thousands of shoppers crowded the hallways and stores of the Citygate Outlets shopping mall in Tung Chung, one of Hong Kong’s new town developments just a short train ride from the airport.This sentence describes shoppers crowding the hallways and stores of the Citygate Outlets 商場.Tatoeba #12909060 by Matthewyau1367, translation #7800215 by Hybrid
- 我喺商場行街。 ngo5 hai2 soeng1 coeng4 hang4 gaai1.I'm going shopping at the mall.
- 你鍾意去邊個商場？ nei5 zung1 ji3 heoi3 bin1 go3 soeng1 coeng4?Which mall do you prefer to visit?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Meiling and Junjie are deciding where to meet for lunch.
- 美玲 Mei Ling我哋喺邊個商場見？ngo5 dei6 hai2 bin1 go3 soeng1 coeng4 gin3?Which mall should we meet at?
- 俊傑 Chun Kit不如喺嗰個新商場見啦。bat1 jyu4 hai2 go2 go3 san1 soeng1 coeng4 gin3 laa1.How about meeting at that new mall?
- 美玲 Mei Ling好啊，嗰個商場有好多嘢食。hou2 aa3, go2 go3 soeng1 coeng4 jau5 hou2 do1 je5 sik6.Okay, that mall has a lot of food.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit係呀，我哋一陣見。hai6 aa3, ngo5 dei6 jat1 zan6 gin3.Yes, see you in a bit.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
