上晝 / 上昼
soeng⁶ zau³
The English word 'morning' is translated into Cantonese as 上晝 / 上昼 (soeng⁶ zau³). If unsure, use 上晝 / 上昼. Wiktionary also lists 朝頭早 / 朝头早 (ziu¹ tau⁴ zou²).
Meaning: part of the day between dawn and midday (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 上晝 / 上昼 | soeng⁶ zau³ |
| 朝頭早 / 朝头早 | ziu¹ tau⁴ zou² |
The term refers to the part of the day between dawn and midday. While 上晝 / 上昼 is a way to describe this period, note that 早晨 is the most commonly used term for 'morning' in Cantonese.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 上晝 / 上昼 literally means 'upper period' of the day.
Which one should you use?
上晝 / 上昼 refers specifically to the morning, whereas 下晝 is used to refer to the afternoon.
How do you pronounce it?
soeng⁶ zau³
Did you know?
- While 上晝 means 'morning', the greeting 早晨 literally means 'early morning' and is used as a standalone 'good morning' without needing a word for 'good'.
- Because 上晝 is based on the concept of 'upper' and 'lower' segments of the day, it treats the passage of time as a physical vertical structure.
- The phrase 朝頭早 is often used to emphasize that something is happening very early in the morning, literally meaning 'at the very head of the early [hours]'.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “morning” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
