夏天
haa⁶ tin¹
In Cantonese, the English word 'summer' is expressed as 夏天 (haa⁶ tin¹). Wiktionary also lists 夏季 (haa⁶ gwai³) and 熱天 / 热天 (jit⁶ tin¹).
Meaning: hottest season (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 夏天 | haa⁶ tin¹ |
| 夏季 | haa⁶ gwai³ |
| 熱天 / 热天 | jit⁶ tin¹ |
The term refers to the hottest season of the year.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 夏天 is composed of the character 夏, meaning 'summer' and 天, meaning 'day/sky/season', which literally translates to 'summer season'.
Which one should you use?
夏天 is the standard, everyday way to say 'summer' in spoken Cantonese. In contrast, 夏季 is a more formal or technical term used for 'summer season', frequently appearing in written documents or weather reports.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual conversation, 夏天 is much more common than the formal term 夏季.
How do you pronounce it?
haa⁶ tin¹
Did you know?
- The character 夏 was originally a pictograph of a person dancing in a dress, which historians believe represented the festive ceremonies held during the summer solstice.
- Cantonese culture has a specific category of 'summer heat' medicines and foods, known as 消暑, which are used to 'clear' the internal heat caused by 夏天.
- The character 夏 (haa6) is also the surname 'Ha' in Cantonese, meaning a person's name could literally translate to 'Summer'.
Examples in context
- 夏天過成點呀？How was your summer?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's summer experience using 夏天.Tatoeba #3475948 by nickyeow, translation #953358 by CK
- 我夏天冇冷氣會死。I can't survive without air conditioning in the summer.This sentence highlights the necessity of air conditioning during 夏天.Tatoeba #7032010 by nickyeow, translation #256461 by Shiawase
- 我出年夏天想去夏威夷。Next summer, I want to go to Hawaii.This sentence is used for expressing travel plans for the upcoming 夏天.Tatoeba #5355333 by nickyeow, translation #378669 by CN
- 我喜歡夏天。I like summer.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about the weather while walking outside.
- 家明 Ka Ming夏天真係好熱。haa6 tin1 zan1 hai6 hou2 jit6.Summer is really hot.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting係呀，我好鍾意夏天。hai6 aa3, ngo5 hou2 zung1 ji3 haa6 tin1.Yes, I love summer.
- 家明 Ka Ming雅婷，你夏天想去邊度玩？ngaa5 ting4, nei5 haa6 tin1 soeng2 heoi3 bin1 dou6 waan2?Agnes, where do you want to go this summer?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting我想去海邊。ngo5 soeng2 heoi3 hoi2 bin1.I want to go to the beach.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “summer” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
