Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 篋 / 箧 | gip¹ |
| 喼 | gip¹ |
| 手提箱 | sau² tai⁴ soeng¹ |
The most natural way to refer to a suitcase in everyday conversation is 喼. You may also use the general term 行李 (luggage) to refer to a suitcase without needing to mention its specific attributes. For specific sizes, 大行李箱 means big suitcase and 小行李箱 means small suitcase.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 手提箱 is a compound word consisting of 手 (hand), 提 (carry) and 箱 (box/case), literally meaning 'hand-carry box'.
Which one should you use?
While 篋 / 箧 is a more formal or classical term for a box or chest, 喼 is the common colloquial term used specifically for a suitcase in spoken Cantonese. 手提箱 is also used to describe hand luggage or a suitcase.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
喼 is the standard spoken form used in daily life. 手提箱 is more formal and is commonly found in written Cantonese or formal announcements. For highly formal contexts, you can use 行李箱 or 旅行箱 to mean suitcase.
How do you pronounce it?
gip¹
Did you know?
- The colloquial word 喼 is a loanword from the English word 'case'.
- In many Cantonese-speaking regions, the word 喼 is so distinctively local that it can immediately identify a speaker as being from Hong Kong or Guangzhou.
- If you use the classical term 箧 instead of the colloquial 喼, you might sound like a character from a period drama or an ancient poem rather than a modern traveler.
Examples in context
- 我搵緊個細喼。I'm looking for a small suitcase.This sentence is useful for expressing the need to find a specific size of 喼.Tatoeba #750743 by kaenif, translation #267519 by CK
- 你有冇行李？Do you have luggage?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “suitcase” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
