HKDictionary

Sports in Cantonese

Hong Kong is small, hilly and surrounded by water, so hiking and swimming come up as often as football. Cantonese usually pairs a verb with the sport — 打 for sports you hit, 踢 for ones you kick — and these are the combinations locals actually say.

wanˍ₆運dungˍ₆動
to exercise;
jauˎ₄游seoiˊ²水
swim, swimming. Mand.: 游泳
游泳池
swimming pool
paauˊ²跑bouˍ₆步
run; march at the double
tek˗₃踢boˉ¹波
to play soccer
daaˊ²打boˉ¹波
play ball game
籃球
basketball
jyuˏ₅羽mouˎ₄毛kauˎ₄球
badminton, the game featuring a shuttlecock and high nets
haangˎ₄行saanˉ¹山
climb mountain; hike; trek; go hiking [華]: 爬山, 登山
caaiˊ²踩daanˉ¹單ceˉ¹車
to ride a bike [普]: 騎自行車 [國]: 踩腳踏車
ginˍ₆健sanˉ¹身
bodybuilding
boˉ¹波haaiˎ₄鞋
sport shoes (lit. ball shoes, 波 /bo1/ is taken from the sound of the English word "ball"); sneakers, trainers -- Standard Chinese: 運動鞋

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say to play football in Cantonese?

踢波 (tek3 bo1) — literally kick ball. 波 (bo1) is a loan from the English word ball and covers most ball sports.

When do you use 打 instead of 踢?

Use 打 (daa2) for sports you hit or handle — 打籃球 (daa2 laam4 kau4), basketball — and 踢 (tek3) for ones you kick, like football.

How do you say hiking in Cantonese?

行山 (haang4 saan1), literally walk mountain — Hong Kong's national pastime, given how much of the territory is country park.

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