路
lou⁶
The Cantonese word for 'road' is 路. If unsure, use 路 (lou⁶). Wiktionary also lists 道路 (dou⁶ lou⁶).
Meaning: a way for travel (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 路 | lou⁶ |
| 道路 | dou⁶ lou⁶ |
The term refers to a way for travel. While 路 is the standard way to name a road, you may encounter the term 馬路 (maa5 lou⁶) when referring specifically to a paved main road or a street with vehicle traffic. Additionally, the phrase 蕩失路 (dong6 sat1 lou6) is a common idiomatic way to say that someone has lost their way or is lost.
Which one should you use?
The single character 路 is the common, shorter form used in everyday speech, whereas 道路 is a more formal or descriptive way to say road.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting or specifying a single road, use the classifier 條 (tiu4) before 路 to form 條路.
How do you pronounce it?
lou⁶
Did you know?
- When using 馬路 (maa5 lou6), the first character refers to 'horse', a linguistic remnant of the era when roads were primarily traveled by animals.
- In Cantonese, the phrase 蕩失路 suggests that the 'road' has been lost, rather than the person being lost.
- The word 路 can be used as a suffix in Cantonese to describe a specific style or 'school' of doing something, like a fighting style.
Examples in context
- 佢企喺路邊。He was standing at the side of the road.This sentence shows how to use 路 when talking about the side of the road.Tatoeba #4778630 by kaenif, translation #302064 by CK
- 有棵樹冧咗落嚟，塞住咗條路。A fallen tree obstructed the road.This sentence uses 路 to describe a road being obstructed.Tatoeba #758626 by nickyeow, translation #279592 by U2FS
- 唔。我有預感我行邊邊都會蕩失路。Hmm. I have a feeling I'm going to get lost whichever road I take.This sentence uses 路 within the idiom for getting lost.Tatoeba #406610 by nickyeow, translation #65671 by sundown
- 去返屋企嘅路點行？How do I get back home?
- 行到大街直行，然後左轉入第一條路。Walk straight until you reach the main street, then turn left onto the first road.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing how to get to a restaurant.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit曉彤，你知唔知去嗰間餐廳行邊條路？Hiu Tung, nei zi m zi heoi go gaan caan teng hang bin tiu lou?Hiu Tung, do you know which road to take to that restaurant?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我知道，行呢條路快好多。ngo zi dou, hang ni tiu lou faai ho doI know, taking this road is much faster.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit呢條路係咪好窄？ni tiu lou hai mai ho zaak?Is this road very narrow?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung係，但係好方便。hai, daan hai ho fong binYes, but it is very convenient.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “road” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
