百分之……
baak³ fan⁶ zi¹…
The English word percent is expressed in Cantonese as 百分之…… (baak³ fan⁶ zi¹…) or 巴仙.
Meaning: a part or other object per hundred (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 百分之…… | baak³ fan⁶ zi¹… |
| 巴仙 | baa¹ sin¹ |
百分之…… is used to express a part or object per hundred, while 巴仙 is a transliterated term often used in business or commission contexts.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 百分之…… literally means 'of a hundred parts'.
Which one should you use?
百分之…… is the formal way to express percentages in reading or writing, whereas 巴仙 is a phonetic loanword used in casual speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
百分之…… is the formal way to say percent, while 巴仙 is used colloquially in spoken Cantonese.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Cantonese, the number follows the 百分之…… (baak³ fan⁶ zi¹) structure, unlike English where the number comes first.
How do you pronounce it?
baak³ fan⁶ zi¹…
Did you know?
- If a Cantonese speaker says something is 一百巴仙 (yaht¹ baak³ baa¹ sin¹), they are emphasizing that something is 'one hundred percent' certain or absolute, often with a playful or exaggerated tone.
- The word 分 (fan⁶) in 百分之…… also means 'minute' when talking about time and 'cent' when talking about money.
- In high-stakes business negotiations in Hong Kong, using 巴仙 instead of 百分之…… can make a speaker sound more like a seasoned trader or a local professional.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “percent” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
