Greetings
你好 / 你好 (Cantonese: néih hóu)
nay HOH
Hello in Cantonese. Guangzhou is a genuinely Cantonese-speaking city — unlike Shenzhen — and using it changes how shopkeepers treat you.
唔該 / M̀h'gōi
mm-GOY
Cantonese for 'thank you / excuse me' when asking for a service. The single most useful word in this city; 多謝 (dōjeh) is for gifts.
Food
飲茶 / Yám chàh
yam CHAH
'Drink tea' — the morning dim sum ritual. Guangzhou invented it, does it earlier than Hong Kong, and treats it as the proper way to conduct business.
老火湯 / Lóuh fó tōng
loh-faw-TONG
'Old fire soup' — the slow-simmered medicinal soups that are the heart of Cantonese home cooking, and the thing locals will ask whether you have had today.
Work
廣交會 / Canton Fair
gwong-gaau-WUI
The China Import and Export Fair, held every spring and autumn at Pazhou since 1957. Hotel prices treble and short-term flats vanish for the duration.
檔口 / Dong háu
dong-HOW
A market stall or trading booth. Guangzhou's wholesale markets — fabric, leather, electronics, tea — are the actual engine of the city.
发票 / Fāpiào
fah-PYOW
Official tax invoice. Needed for rent if you claim the expatriate housing exemption, and for anything you expense.
Daily life
临时住宿登记 / Línshí zhùsù dēngjì
lin-shr JOO-soo DENG-jee
Temporary residence registration at the police station, within 24 hours of moving into a private address. Requested again at every later step.
居留许可 / Jūliú xǔkě
joo-lyoh SHYOO-kuh
Residence permit. The visa in your passport got you across the border; this is what lets you live here.
开四停四 / Kāi sì tíng sì
kye suh ting SUH
'Drive four, stop four' — the rule limiting how many consecutive days a non-Guangzhou-plated car may be in the restricted central zone.
Emergency
110 / 120 / 119 / 122
yāo-yāo-líng…
Police 110, ambulance 120, fire 119, traffic accidents 122. Four separate lines, not one emergency number.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.