HKDictionary

At School in Cantonese

School words come up constantly in everyday Cantonese conversation, not just in classrooms — asking someone what they study, whether they have finished their homework, or when their exams are. Here are the essentials with pronunciation audio.

hokˍ₆學haauˍ₆校
school
louˏ₅老siˉ¹師
teacher
haauˍ₆校zoengˊ²長
school principal
hokˍ₆學saangˉ¹生
student; pupil
tungˎ₄同hokˍ₆學
classmate, school friend
gungˉ¹功fo˗₃課
lessons or studies in general (i.e., homework, curriculum, etc.). 功課 include 堂課 (classwork) or 家課 (homework)
haauˊ²考siˏ₅試
examination; test [v] sit for an examination; take an examination
課本
textbook
書包
schoolbag
dukˍ₆讀syuˉ¹書
to read a book; to study; to attend school or college
soengˏ₅上tongˎ₄堂
go to law court; present at the court
fong˗₃放hokˍ₆學
go for vacation at the end of the semester [] Syn.: 下課

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say homework in Cantonese?

功課 (gung1 fo3). 做功課 (zou6 gung1 fo3) is to do your homework.

What is the difference between 上堂 and 返學?

返學 (faan1 hok6) is going to school for the day; 上堂 (soeng5 tong4) is being in a particular lesson. The opposite of 上堂 is 落堂 (lok6 tong4).

How do you say teacher in Cantonese?

老師 (lou5 si1). Students address teachers by surname plus the title, like 陳老師 (can4 lou5 si1), Teacher Chan.

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