多士
In Cantonese, the word for toast is 多士.
The term is used to refer to toasted bread.
Meaning: toasted bread (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
多士 is a phonetic loanword from the English word 'toast'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting toast, you use the classifier 塊 (faai3) to indicate a slice or piece, as in 塊多士. To specifically specify a single slice of toast, you can add 片 (pin3), meaning 'slice', to the end of the word to form 多士片.
Did you know?
- While 'toast' in English can mean a celebratory drink, in Cantonese, you would never use 多士 to refer to a toast made with glasses.
- In Hong Kong's famous 'Cha Chaan Teng' cafes, 多士 is often served as 'Honey Toast', where a thick slab of bread is hollowed out and filled with melted butter and honey.
- The character 多 in 多士 usually means 'many' or 'much', but here it serves only to mimic the sound of the English syllable.
Examples in context
- 佢食多士哽親。He choked on a piece of toast.This sentence shows how someone might experience choking while eating 多士.Tatoeba #6854297 by nickyeow, translation #6854298 by nickyeow
- 多士永遠都係搽咗牛油嗰便着地。Toast will always land butter-side down.This sentence uses 多士 in the context of a humorous observation about how toast lands.Tatoeba #9536304 by nickyeow, translation #9501197 by casaniere
- 我今朝淨係食咗塊多士同飲咗杯咖啡咋。I only had a piece of toast and a cup of coffee this morning.This sentence demonstrates using 多士 when describing a simple breakfast.Tatoeba #3364355 by kaenif, translation #3364310 by _undertoad
Example conversation
A woman and a man are having breakfast at a cafe.
- 美玲 Mei Ling家明，你想食多士嗎？ka1 ming4, nei5 soeng2 sik6 do1 si6 maa1?Ka Ming, do you want toast?
- 家明 Ka Ming我想食，唔該。ngo5 soeng2 sik6, m4 goi1.I want some, thanks.
- 美玲 Mei Ling好呀，我叫佢幫你整。hou2 aa3, ngo5 giu3 keoi5 bong1 nei5 zing2.Okay, I will ask him to make it for you.
- 家明 Ka Ming多謝美玲。do1 ze6 mei5 ling4.Thank you, Mei Ling.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “toast” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
