聚會 / 聚会
zeoi⁶ wui⁶
The English word 'party' can be translated into Cantonese as 聚會 / 聚会 (zeoi⁶ wui⁶), 派對 / 派对 or simply by using the English loanword 'party'.
Meaning: social gathering (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 聚會 / 聚会 | zeoi⁶ wui⁶ |
| 派對 / 派对 | paai³ deoi³ |
The term is used to describe a social gathering. In casual Hong Kong Cantonese, the English loanword 'party' is frequently used directly in place of Cantonese terms. You may also see the phrase 搞 party, where 搞 (gau2) means to host or organize a party.
Which one should you use?
聚會 / 聚会 is a more formal or standard way to refer to a social gathering. In contrast, the transliterated term 派對 / 派对 is commonly used in spoken Cantonese to refer to a social party, often implying a more festive or Western-style event.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 慶祝會 is used in some regions to refer to a celebration or party.
How do you pronounce it?
zeoi⁶ wui⁶
Did you know?
- If you refer to a 'party' in a political sense, Cantonese speakers will switch to terms like 政黨 / zing3 dong2, as the word for a social gathering does not apply to political groups.
- In certain Cantonese contexts, a 'party' for a birthday might be referred to as a 生日宴 /sang1 jat6 jin3, emphasizing the 'feast' aspect of the celebration.
- While 派對 is a phonetic loan of 'party', it is specifically associated with Western-style celebrations. For a traditional family gathering, using 派對 would sound out of place and overly formal or 'foreign'.
Examples in context
- 尋晚個 party 你有無去啊？Did you go to the party yesterday?This sentence shows how to ask if someone attended a 'party'.Tatoeba #12073438 by thesilhouette, translation #9408808 by CK
- 你會唔會喺屋企搞聖誕party呀？Will you have a Christmas party at your home?This sentence shows how to use 'party' when talking about hosting a Christmas event at home.Tatoeba #5763167 by nickyeow, translation #5705370 by CK
- 開 party 啲嘢就全部等你嚟搞喇。I will leave everything about the party up to you.This sentence illustrates the use of 'party' when discussing the organization of an event.Tatoeba #395931 by nickyeow, translation #35659 by mailohilohi
- 我哋準備咗一個慶祝會。We have prepared a celebration party.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “party” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
