Cantonese Time Words with Jyutping Audio
Practise Hong Kong time words—ji4 gaa1, cam4 jat6, ting1 jat6, ceot1 nin2—plus the Mandarin traps, with instant Jyutping.
Hong Kong speakers do not use the Mandarin set for time. Now is 而家. Yesterday is 尋日. Tomorrow is 聽日. Next year is 出年.
Each entry has Jyutping playback. These are everyday relative-time words.
Pairing table
| Hong Kong speech | Jyutping | Mandarin often says |
|---|---|---|
| 而家 | ji4 gaa1 | 現在 |
| 頭先 | tau4 sin1 | 剛才 |
| 陣間 | zan6 gaan1 | 待會, 一會兒 |
| 今朝 | gam1 ziu1 | 今天早上 |
| 今日 | gam1 jat6 | 今天 |
| 晏晝 | aan3 zau3 | 下午 |
| 今晚 | gam1 maan5 | 今晚 |
| 尋日 | cam4 jat6 | 昨天 |
| 聽日 | ting1 jat6 | 明天 |
| 前日 | cin4 jat6 | 前天 |
| 後日 | hau6 jat6 | 後天 |
| 尋晚 | cam4 maan5 | 昨晚 |
| 聽朝 | ting1 ziu1 | 明天早上 |
| 今年 | gam1 nin4 | 今年 |
| 舊年 | gau6 nin2 | 去年 |
| 出年 | ceot1 nin2 | 明年 |
Street writing often uses 琴晚 and 琴日. Those characters read as kam4. Last night and yesterday need cam4. Playback uses 尋晚 and 尋日.
Now
1. 而家 (ji4 gaa1)
Meaning: Now.
Do not convert 現在 syllable by syllable. People say 而家. It collides with 宜家 in a tongue twister—see Cantonese tongue twisters.
而家
ji4 gaa1
2. 頭先 (tau4 sin1)
Meaning: Just now. Something just done or just said.
Mandarin 剛才 is understood. It does not sound local. 啱啱 means the same thing.
頭先
tau4 sin1
啱啱
ngaam1 ngaam1
3. 陣間 (zan6 gaan1)
Meaning: In a bit. Later on.
等陣 and 一陣 mean the same kind of thing. Do not copy 待會 or 一會兒. People say zan6 gaan1.
陣間
zan6 gaan1
Today
4. 今朝 (gam1 ziu1)
Meaning: This morning.
Not six syllables of “today morning”. Two characters: gam1 ziu1.
今朝
gam1 ziu1
5. 今日 (gam1 jat6)
Meaning: Today.
The characters look close. The sound is not Mandarin jīntiān. 日 is an entering tone: jat6.
今日
gam1 jat6
6. 晏晝 (aan3 zau3)
Meaning: Afternoon.
The player reads aan3 zau3—the lazy initial. Dictionaries also give ngaan3. Playback uses the lazy reading. Mandarin 下午 is not these two characters.
晏晝
aan3 zau3
7. 今晚 (gam1 maan5)
Meaning: Tonight.
The characters sit near Mandarin. 晚 is maan5, not wǎn.
今晚
gam1 maan5
Yesterday, tomorrow
8. 尋日 (cam4 jat6)
Meaning: Yesterday.
Also written 噚日, same sound cam4 jat6. Street writing 琴日 will play as kam4. Use cam4. Do not read Mandarin 昨天.
尋日
cam4 jat6
9. 聽日 (ting1 jat6)
Meaning: Tomorrow.
聽 here is ting1, not the “hear” reading teng1. This is not a Cantonese transplant of 明天.
聽日
ting1 jat6
10. 前日, 後日 (cin4 jat6, hau6 jat6)
Meaning: The day before yesterday; the day after tomorrow.
前 is cin4. 後 is hau6. 後天 is not Mandarin hòutiān forced into Cantonese.
前日
cin4 jat6
後日
hau6 jat6
Last night, tomorrow morning
11. 尋晚 (cam4 maan5)
Meaning: Last night.
A search for 琴晚 should land here. The player only uses 尋晚, cam4 maan5. Written 琴晚 reads as kam4.
尋晚
cam4 maan5
12. 聽朝 (ting1 ziu1)
Meaning: Tomorrow morning.
The morning of 聽日. Two characters, not four words of “tomorrow morning”.
聽朝
ting1 ziu1
Last year, next year
13. 舊年 (gau6 nin2)
Meaning: Last year.
年 alone is nin4. After 舊 it changes to nin2. This is not a Cantonese transplant of 去年.
舊年
gau6 nin2
14. 出年 (ceot1 nin2)
Meaning: Next year.
The biggest trap. Mandarin 明年 is understood in Hong Kong. People say 出年 ceot1 nin2. 今年 is in the pairing table.
出年
ceot1 nin2
Shadow lines
我而家去。
ngo5 ji4 gaa1 heoi3
頭先食咗。
tau4 sin1 sik6 zo2
陣間見。
zan6 gaan1 gin3
尋日見咗，聽日再傾。
cam4 jat6 gin3 zo2 ting1 jat6 zoi3 king1
出年先算。
ceot1 nin2 sin1 syun3
What these words train
| Type | Examples | What you practise |
|---|---|---|
| Now, just now, later | 而家 / 頭先 / 陣間 | Not copies of 現在 / 剛才 / 一會兒 |
| Spelling trap | 琴晚, 琴日 vs 尋晚, 尋日 | Use cam4, not kam4 |
| 聽 reading | 聽日, 聽朝 ting1 | Not “hear” teng1 |
| 年 tone change | 舊年, 出年 nin2; 今年 nin4 | Connected speech, not citation tones |
FAQ
Which is right: 尋日, 噚日, or 琴日?
The sound is cam4 jat6. 尋日 and 噚日 match. 琴日 reads as kam4.
Can I say 明年 for 出年?
People will understand. Hong Kong speakers usually do not say that.
Do 陣間, 等陣, and 一陣 differ?
They all mean “in a bit”. To practise other spellings, annotate them with the Jyutping converter.
What about weekdays, or 今個禮拜?
Hong Kong speakers often say 禮拜. Annotate it with the Jyutping converter.
What next?
而家 collides with 宜家 in Cantonese tongue twisters. Or annotate your own time words with the Jyutping converter.