馬騮 / 马骝
The English word monkey is translated into Cantonese as 馬騮 / 马骝 or 猴子.
Meaning: primate (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 馬騮 / 马骝 | ||
| 猴子 | hau⁴ zi² | formal |
Both terms refer to the primate known as a monkey.
Which one should you use?
馬騮 / 马骝 is the colloquial way to say monkey, whereas 猴子 is the more formal term.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
馬騮 / 马骝 is the colloquial term used in everyday spoken Cantonese. 猴子 is the formal or standard term used in written Cantonese or formal speech.
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the colloquial word for monkey, 馬騮, is written with the character for 'horse' (馬), even though the animal is a primate.
- The term 馬騮 is specifically characteristic of Cantonese. A speaker of Mandarin would find the term strange and would almost exclusively use 猴子.
- The term 馬騮 is often used as a playful or slightly derogatory nickname for people, especially children or people who are acting mischievous.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “monkey” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
