Question 1

What is Jyutping?

Accepted Answer

Jyutping is the standard romanization for Cantonese: it writes each syllable with letters plus a tone number 1 to 6, for example nei5 hou2 for hello. This dictionary accepts Jyutping with or without the numbers.

Question 2

How many tones does Cantonese have?

Accepted Answer

Six tones in the modern analysis (nine if you count the three checked tones separately). Tone changes meaning, so nei5 and nei4 are different words — the dictionary search matches toneless input to the right toned entry.

Question 3

Should I learn traditional or simplified characters for Cantonese?

Accepted Answer

Traditional: Hong Kong and Macau read and write traditional characters, and Cantonese-specific characters only exist in traditional form. This dictionary matches both scripts to the same entry either way.

Question 4

What is the difference between Cantonese and Mandarin?

Accepted Answer

Different pronunciation systems, partly different vocabulary, and partly different grammar — a Mandarin speaker cannot automatically follow spoken Cantonese. Written Cantonese also uses characters Mandarin never uses. Entries here note spoken-vs-written usage where known.

Question 5

How do I type Jyutping tone numbers?

Accepted Answer

Just add the digit after each syllable: sik6 faan6 for to eat a meal. You can skip the numbers entirely in this dictionary's search and it still finds the word.

Question 6

Which Cantonese dictionary is best?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the job: words.hk has the richest example sentences, Pleco wins offline on a phone, and this dictionary wins fast lookups with forgiving search plus a pinyin converter. The full comparison is on the best Cantonese dictionary page.

Question 7

Is this Cantonese dictionary free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Entries come from the open CC-Canto and CC-CEDICT projects, lookup is free with no account, and your history and flashcards never leave your browser.

Cantonese Learning FAQ