Mandarin or Cantonese in Guangzhou? Phrases for Visitors

Should I use Mandarin or Cantonese in Guangzhou?

Use Mandarin first. Written signs are in Chinese characters, apps and drivers work in Mandarin, and most residents understand it. Cantonese is the city’s traditional language. Wikipedia says that in 2010 each language was the native tongue of roughly half the population, and a 2018 study put bilingualism at about 90%. A few Cantonese words show goodwill, but nobody expects them from a visitor.

If you know Mandarin from elsewhere, you can still use it here. You will also hear Cantonese around you, so the list below helps you recognise a few words.

Which phrases do I need most?

The same phrases are on the Chinese phrases tool, which is easier to show on a phone. Pinyin is the Mandarin romanisation.

Basics

Taxi and directions

Always show the address in writing. See the Guangzhou taxi guide and common scams for why the meter phrase matters.

Eating and paying

For dietary phrases such as 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù, “I’m vegetarian”) and 这是清真的吗？ (zhè shì qīngzhēn de ma?, “Is this halal?”), use the tool’s “Diet and allergies” group.

Help and health

If speaking fails, call 960169. The operator joins a three-way call with an interpreter for government and emergency calls (12345, 110, 120, 119), in English 24 hours. See seeing a doctor in Guangzhou.

More toilet phrases, and what to expect when you get there, are in public toilets in Guangzhou.

Which Cantonese words are worth learning?

Five are enough. The numbers are Jyutping tone marks.

Try 唔该 and 埋单 at a morning tea table. See dim sum in Guangzhou.

What else makes communication easier?

• Carry a hotel card. A traveller on r/guangzhou recommends getting the hotel business card with the address on it.
• Translate by camera. Use your translation app’s camera mode for menus, then point at the dish.
• Download offline language packs before you fly. See the first 24 hours checklist.
• Expect some English in hotels and on the metro. A traveller wrote that all metro stations have English signs and announcements; it is a single report, so verify with your app.