和平
wo⁴ ping⁴
The Cantonese word for peace is 和平 (wo⁴ ping⁴).
和平 refers specifically to a state of being free from war or conflict.
Meaning: state of being free from war (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of two characters: 和 (wo4), which means harmony, peace or together and 平 (ping4), which means level, flat or calm.
Which one should you use?
While 和平 specifically denotes the absence of war or conflict, the term 安寧 is used to describe a state of tranquility or peacefulness in a more general or spiritual sense.
How do you pronounce it?
wo⁴ ping⁴
Did you know?
- The word 平 (ping4) can also mean 'cheap' or 'low cost' in Cantonese, meaning that the same character used for 'peace' is used in everyday contexts to describe a bargain.
- In Cantonese, a person who is emotionally stable and calm is described using the idiom 心平氣和 (sam1 ping4 hei3 wo4), which literally translates to 'heart level and breath harmonious'.
- The character 平 (ping4) is used in the word for 'equality' 平等, suggesting that in the Cantonese mindset, peace is fundamentally linked to fairness and balance.
Examples in context
- 幾年嘅和平，喺佢腦海入面重新浮現返晒出嚟，嗰啲尖叫聲喺一瞬間結束埋。佢哋嘅細節，無論幾咁細節，都以咁強烈嘅強度返嚟佢嘅記憶，令到連埋啲現實都唔再好似「真實」咁。Some years of peace that had ended in an instant with one of those terribly frightening screams resurfaced in his mind. Their details, however minute, came back to his memory with such intensity that even reality no longer seemed as "real".This example illustrates the use of 和平 to describe years of peace in a person's memory.Tatoeba #12908178 by Matthewyau1367, translation #12588688 by anzart
- 和平相處To live peacefully together or to coexist peacefully
- 平安快樂Safety and happiness
- 心境平和Having a peaceful state of mind
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing the news on the radio.
- 美玲 Mei Ling希望世界可以有更多和平。hei1 mong6 sai3 gaai3 ho2 ji5 jau5 do1 go3 wo4 ping4.I hope the world can have more peace.
- 家明 Ka Ming係呀，大家終於可以過返安穩日子。hai6 aa3, daai6 gaa1 zung1 jyu1 ho2 ji5 gwo3 faan1 on1 wan2 jat6 zi2.Yes, everyone can finally live a stable life again.
- 美玲 Mei Ling但係而家個形勢仲係好複雜。daan6 hai6 ji4 gaai1 go3 jing4 sai6 zung6 hai6 hou2 fuk1 zaap6.But the current situation is still very complex.
- 家明 Ka Ming所以我哋先至更加渴望和平。so2 ji5 ngo5 dei6 sin1 zi3 gang3 go1 ho2 mong6 ping4.That's why we long for peace even more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “peace” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
