好食
hou² sik⁶
In Cantonese, the English phrase 'yummy' is expressed as 好食 (hou² sik⁶). Wiktionary also lists 好味 (hou² mei⁶).
Meaning: delicious (adj)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 好食 | hou² sik⁶ |
| 好味 | hou² mei⁶ |
Both 好食 and 好味 are used to express that something is delicious. 好食 is the most common way to say something tastes good in daily Cantonese conversation. You can also use the phrase 真係好好味 to mean 'it is really tasty'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 好食 is composed of 好 (good/very) and 食 (to eat), literally meaning 'very eat' or 'good eat'. The phrase 好味 is composed of 好 (good/very) and 味 (taste/flavor), literally meaning 'very taste' or 'good taste'.
How do you pronounce it?
hou² sik⁶
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might use 好食 for everything, but in Cantonese, you should use 好飲 (hou2 jam2) specifically for delicious drinks.
Did you know?
- The word 味 in the phrase 好味 is the same character used to denote 'meaning' or 'sense' in many Chinese contexts.
- If a dish smells delicious, Cantonese speakers avoid both 好食 and 好味. They instead use 香, which literally means 'fragrant'.
- Describing a dish as 好味 can sound more sophisticated or focused on seasoning than the simpler, more casual 好食.
Examples in context
- 呢碗麵好食。ni1 wun2 min6 hou2 sik6.This bowl of noodles is yummy.
- 呢件蛋糕真係好食。ni1 gin6 daan6 gou3 zan1 hai6 hou2 sik6.This cake is really yummy.
Example conversation
Mei Ling and Ka Ming are eating lunch at a restaurant.
- 美玲 Mei Ling家明，你覺得呢個燒賣好食嗎？kaai1 ming4, nei5 gok3 dak1 ni1 go3 siu1 maai2 hou2 sik6 maa1?Ka Ming, do you think this siu mai is yummy?
- 家明 Ka Ming好食呀，好有味。hou2 sik6 aa3, hou2 jau5 man6.It is yummy, very flavorful.
- 美玲 Mei Ling係呀，我都覺得好食。hai6 aa3, ngo5 dou1 gok3 dak1 hou2 sik6.Yes, I also think it is yummy.
- 家明 Ka Ming我哋再叫多點心啦。ngo5 dei6 zoi3 giu3 do1 dim2 sam1 laa1.Let's order more dim sum.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yummy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
