餐廳 / 餐厅
caan¹ teng¹
The Cantonese word for restaurant is 餐廳 / 餐厅 (caan¹ teng¹). Wiktionary also lists 食肆 (sik⁶ si³).
Meaning: an eating establishment in which diners are served food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 餐廳 / 餐厅 | caan¹ teng¹ |
| 食肆 | sik⁶ si³ |
A restaurant is an eating establishment where diners are served food. In Hong Kong and Cantonese-speaking regions, the most common type of casual restaurant is the 茶餐廳, a specific type of cafe that serves both Western and Chinese-style meals.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 餐廳 / 餐厅 (caan1 teng1) is composed of 餐 (caan1), meaning meal or food and 廳 (teng1), meaning hall or large room.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The formal word for restaurant in Cantonese is 餐廳. The term 食肆 is a more formal or literary way to refer to a restaurant or eatery compared to the common 餐廳.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Guangzhou, the term 食堂 refers to a canteen rather than a restaurant.
How do you pronounce it?
caan¹ teng¹
Did you know?
- In some casual 食肆, it is customary for strangers to share a table, a practice known as 'daap toi' or 'joining tables'.
- The 茶餐廳 culture evolved from a desire to make expensive British colonial food affordable for the local Cantonese population.
- While 餐廳 is the general term, a 茶餐廳 typically serves a 'three-in-one' breakfast of macaroni in soup, toast and a milk tea.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “restaurant” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
