太陽 / 太阳
taai³ joeng⁴
The English word "sun" is translated into Cantonese as 太陽 / 太阳 (taai³ joeng⁴). If unsure, use 太陽 / 太阳. Wiktionary also lists 日 (jat⁶).
Meaning: the star around which the Earth revolves (name)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 太陽 / 太阳 | taai³ joeng⁴ |
| 日 | jat⁶ |
The term refers to the star around which the Earth revolves. While 太陽 / 太阳 identifies the celestial body, you should use 陽光 / 阳光 if you are specifically referring to the sunlight or sunshine received from the sun.
Which one should you use?
太陽 / 太阳 is the standard and more formal way to refer to the sun in scientific or general contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Guangzhou, the informal term 太陽公 is used for sun.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
taai³ joeng⁴
Did you know?
- While 太陽 is the scientific term, calling the sun 太陽公 is like calling it 'Grandpa Sun'. It is a charming, personified way to refer to the sun in casual conversation.
- The character 陽 in 太陽 carries a philosophical weight, representing the 'yang' or bright, masculine, and active principle in Chinese cosmology.
- While 太陽 is the standard word for the sun, the character 日 is the basis for almost every time-related word in Cantonese, including 'morning' and 'noon'.
Examples in context
- 日落喇。The sun is going down.This sentence uses 日 to describe the sun going down.Tatoeba #4778617 by kaenif, translation #275033 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sun” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
