Vocabulary guide
Cantonese Directions: 20 Useful Words with Jyutping
Left in Cantonese is 左 (zo2), right is 右 (jau6), and “go straight” is 直行 (zik6 haang4). The number after each Jyutping syllable marks its tone. These 20 direction words and phrases come directly from Canto Cab’s Victoria Peak and New York Chinatown lessons.
20 Cantonese direction words and phrases
Start with the short opposites—left and right, up and down, near and far—then add the longer phrases for turns and intersections. Read the Traditional Chinese first, use Jyutping to check the pronunciation, and say the English meaning before revealing it.
| Traditional Chinese | Jyutping | English |
|---|---|---|
| 左 | zo2 | Left |
| 右 | jau6 | Right |
| 直行 | zik6 haang4 | Go straight |
| 停 | ting4 | Stop |
| 小心 | siu2 sam1 | Careful |
| 前面 | cin4 min6 | Ahead |
| 後面 | hau6 min6 | Behind |
| 上 | soeng5 | Go up |
| 落 | lok6 | Go down |
| 呢度 | ni1 dou6 | Here |
| 轉彎 | zyun3 waan1 | Turn |
| 到咗 | dou3 zo2 | We have arrived |
| 一直行 | jat1 zik6 haang4 | Keep going straight |
| 左轉 | zo2 zyun3 | Turn left |
| 右轉 | jau6 zyun3 | Turn right |
| 下一個路口 | haa6 jat1 go3 lou6 hau2 | Next intersection |
| 過咗 | gwo3 zo2 | Passed it |
| 近 | gan6 | Near |
| 遠 | jyun5 | Far |
| 地圖 | dei6 tou4 | Map |
Build the words in layers
Canto Cab introduces the compact direction words on Victoria Peak before adding more specific navigation language in New York Chinatown. That progression is useful away from the game too. Learn 左 (zo2) and 右 (jau6) before combining them with 轉 (zyun3), the turn in 左轉 and 右轉.
Likewise, 直行 means “go straight,” while 一直行 adds the sense of continuing straight. The translations here are concise curriculum glosses, so real conversations may use the same words inside longer sentences.
A two-way recall drill
- Cover the English column and translate each Cantonese item.
- Cover the Cantonese column and retrieve the characters or Jyutping from English.
- Mix close pairs such as 左 / 右 and 前面 / 後面 instead of studying only one side.
- Finish by listening and repeating; Jyutping is a guide, not a replacement for audio.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
- How do you say left and right in Cantonese?
- Left is 左 (zo2), and right is 右 (jau6).
- What is the difference between 直行 and 一直行?
- In Canto Cab’s curriculum, 直行 (zik6 haang4) means “go straight,” while 一直行 (jat1 zik6 haang4) means “keep going straight.”
- What do the Jyutping numbers mean?
- They identify the Cantonese tone for each syllable. Jyutping writes six tone numbers, 1 through 6.