10 Cantonese Phrases That Don't Translate Well to English in Business
And how to say what you really mean without sounding rude, vague, or unprofessional
Cantonese is fun, colourful, and full of personality. That's great in casual chats or WhatsApp—but dangerous when copied straight into an English work email.
If you've ever wondered why Cantonese speakers struggle with English emails at work, this is a major reason.
Why? Because many common Cantonese expressions carry feeling, respect, and "face" in ways that English doesn't. Direct translation can make you seem unclear, unprofessional, or even disrespectful to colleagues or clients who don't speak Cantonese.
The result isn't just awkward wording—it can hurt your credibility, cause misunderstandings, and slow down projects.
Here are 10 types of Cantonese phrases that usually need rewriting, not direct translation. For each, we show the translation trap and a professional English alternative.
1. Super‑casual openings
Cantonese thinking: 喂，陳生，搞掂未呀？嗰份proposal老細等緊交。你有咩問題就whatsapp我啦。
Direct translation (trap): "Hey Mr. Chan, finished yet? The boss is waiting for the proposal. If you have any questions just WhatsApp me."
Why it doesn't work: "Hey" + short questions can feel abrupt or even pushy in English, especially with seniors or external partners. It also sounds a bit chaotic.
Professional alternative: "Hi Mr. Chan, just checking whether the proposal is ready, as our director would like to review it today. If anything is unclear, please feel free to message me and I'll be happy to help."
2. Emotional complaints about workload
Cantonese thinking: 呢排忙到甩轆，個project又趕，客又成日改嘢，真係想死。不過我今晚盡量搞埋佢啦。
Direct translation (trap): "Recently I'm so busy I'm losing wheels, the project is rushed and the client keeps changing things, really want to die. But I'll try to finish it tonight."
Why it doesn't work: Sounds dramatic and negative; mentioning "want to die" is especially inappropriate in many cultures.
Professional alternative: "It's been an unusually busy period with several last‑minute client changes, but I'll prioritise this and aim to finalise it tonight. I'll update you once it's ready."
3. Indirect "no" to protect face
Cantonese thinking: 呢個價錢有少少難搞，我哋再睇睇，遲啲覆你啦。到時再傾。
Direct translation (trap): "This price is a bit difficult. We'll take another look and reply to you later. We'll talk again then."
Why it doesn't work: The client may think you are still considering and wait for weeks, when you actually mean "no".
Professional alternative: "Thank you for the proposal. Unfortunately we won't be able to proceed at this price point right now. If our budget changes in future, I'll reach out so we can revisit the discussion."
4. Long, story‑style apologies
Cantonese thinking: 真係唔好意思，頭先個會超長，之後返到office又畀人call住傾嘢，跟住部電腦又hang機，所以而家先有時間覆你。
Direct translation (trap): "Really sorry, the meeting just now was super long, then when I got back to the office someone called me to talk, then my computer crashed, so only now I have time to reply to you."
Why it doesn't work: Too much story sounds like excuses; the client just wants a quick apology and clear answer.
Professional alternative: "My apologies for the delayed reply. Thank you for your patience. Regarding your question, here is the updated information: [short, clear answer]."
5. Nicknames and office slang
Cantonese thinking: 個客「事頭婆」啱啱又話唔鍾意之前嗰個design，要我哋再砌多個version出嚟，真係頭都大。
Direct translation (trap): "The client 'boss lady' just said she doesn't like the previous design again and wants us to make another version; my head is really big."
Why it doesn't work: The nickname and complaint sound disrespectful and unprofessional if the email is ever shared.
Professional alternative: "The main stakeholder at [Client] has requested some changes to the previous design and would like us to prepare an additional version. I'll coordinate with the team and share an updated draft shortly."
6. Vague time phrases
Cantonese thinking: 你放心啦，呢個我哋好快搞掂，應該好快就有結果，到時再話你知。
Direct translation (trap): "Don't worry, we will finish this very fast, should very soon have a result, then I'll tell you."
Why it doesn't work: "Very fast" and "very soon" mean different things to different people; they're not reliable in project planning.
Professional alternative: "No worries—we've already started on this and expect to have a result by Thursday afternoon. I'll update you as soon as it's ready."
7. Exaggerated praise
Cantonese thinking: 你真係超級無敵勁！成份deck你一手搞掂，完全係天才level！
Direct translation (trap): "You are super invincibly strong! You handled the whole deck by yourself, it's totally genius level!"
Why it doesn't work: In English, this level of praise can feel childish or sarcastic, especially in formal contexts.
Professional alternative: "You did an excellent job on this deck. Handling the whole thing on your own and keeping the message so clear is really impressive."
8. Jokes and wordplay
Cantonese thinking: 你今次真係「有料到」，唔怪得咁多人話你係公司嘅秘密武器。
Direct translation (trap): "This time you really 'have material', no wonder so many people say you are the company's secret weapon."
Why it doesn't work: The wordplay on "有料" doesn't carry over, and "secret weapon" can sound strange in serious contexts.
Professional alternative: "You really showed your strengths on this project—no surprise that the team relies on you so much."
9. Very direct questions
Cantonese thinking: 個file而家喺邊？點解仲未上server？老細問緊我。
Direct translation (trap): "Where is the file now? Why is it still not on the server? The boss is asking me."
Why it doesn't work: Reads as accusatory and could damage relationships, even if you didn't mean it that way.
Professional alternative: "Could you please let me know where the latest version of the file is stored, and whether it has already been uploaded to the server? Our manager has asked for an update."
10. "Give face" phrases
Cantonese thinking: 今次俾下面幫幫手，遲啲有機會我一定幫返你，大家互相支持吓。
Direct translation (trap): "This time give me face and help, later when there's a chance I'll definitely help you back, everyone support each other."
Why it doesn't work: The "face" concept doesn't translate and the whole sentence reads awkwardly to non‑Cantonese speakers.
Professional alternative: "I'd really appreciate your support on this matter. If there's anything I can assist you with in future, I'll be more than happy to help."
Ready to write with confidence?
Now that you understand which phrases don't translate well, learn how to systematically convert your Cantonese thoughts into professional English.
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