紐約州 / 纽约州
nau² joek³ zau¹
In Cantonese, "New York" is expressed as 紐約州 / 纽约州 (nau² joek³ zau¹). Wiktionary also lists 紐約 / 纽约 (nau² joek³).
Meaning: state of the United States of America (name)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 紐約州 / 纽约州 | nau² joek³ zau¹ |
| 紐約 / 纽约 | nau² joek³ |
The phrase is used to refer to the name of the location in the United States of America. You can use a longer form to specify the state or a shorter form to refer to the city or the entity in general.
What does it mean word for word?
In the form 紐約州 / 纽约州, the character 州 (zau1) means 'state' or 'province'.
Which one should you use?
The shorter form 紐約 / 纽约 (nau2 joek3) is the standard way to refer to New York City or the general entity of New York. Use the form 紐約州 / 纽约州 (nau2 joek3 zau1) when you are specifically referring to New York State.
How do you pronounce it?
nau² joek³ zau¹
Did you know?
- The Cantonese name 紐約 (nau2 joek3) uses characters that literally translate to 'bind' and 'agreement'.
- While 州 (zau1) means 'state' in 紐約州 (nau2 joek3 zau1), this same character was historically used in ancient China to divide the empire into large administrative regions.
- When Cantonese speakers talk about 'The Big Apple', they typically do not translate the idiom literally, instead using the English term or simply saying 紐約 (nau2 joek3).
Examples in context
- 你係唔係嚟自紐約呀?Are you from New York?
- 紐約出名嘅係佢嘅熱鬧街道What's famous about New York is its bustling streets.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “new york” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
