How do you say chi fan le ma in Cantonese?

Say 食咗飯未 (sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6). Three swaps: 吃 becomes 食 (sik6), 了 becomes 咗 (zo2), and the question ending 嗎 becomes 未 (mei6), meaning not yet.

How do you answer 食咗飯未?

If you have eaten, say 食咗喇 (sik6 zo2 laa3). If not, say 未食 (mei6 sik6), not yet.

Is have you eaten a greeting in Cantonese?

Yes, as small talk around mealtimes among family and friends, much as in Mandarin. It is a greeting rather than an invitation.

← Cantonese Dictionary

How to say chi fan le ma in Cantonese?

In Cantonese, 吃飯了嗎 (chī fàn le ma) is 食咗飯未 (sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6). The rule: three changes. 吃 becomes 食 sik6, 了 becomes 咗 zo2, and the yes-no ending 嗎 is replaced by 未 mei6 ("not yet"). Word for word it is "eaten rice yet?". The meal word 飯 stays, read faan6. The complete verb phrase 食飯 sik6 faan6 is in the dictionary, and 食咗 sik6 zo2 is listed as "have eaten". Use the pinyin converter to check tone marks while you compare. The 咗 pattern is explained in 咗 vs 緊.

If you'd say (Mandarin)	Say (Cantonese)	Notes
吃飯了嗎 chī fàn le ma	食咗飯未 sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6	The standard question
吃 chī (eat)	食 sik6	Everyday verb for eat
了 le (completed)	咗 zo2	Goes right after the verb
吃過了 chīguo le (have eaten)	食過 sik6 gwo3	Another "have eaten"; 過 marks the experience
吃飽了 chī bǎo le (am full)	食飽 sik6 baau2	Full after eating; add 未 to ask, 食飽未
吃午飯 chī wǔfàn (have lunch)	食晏 sik6 aan3	晏 is the spoken word for lunch; 午飯 ng5 faan6 is written
晚飯 wǎnfàn (dinner)	晚飯 maan5 faan6	Same word, new reading
吃宵夜 chī xiāoyè (late-night snack)	食宵夜 sik6 siu1 je2	The spoken verb phrase
早餐 zǎocān (breakfast)	早餐 zou2 caan1	Same word, new reading

Scenarios

Situation	Say	Why
Meeting a friend around noon	食咗飯未呀	A greeting about food, not an invitation
You have eaten	食咗喇 (sik6 zo2 laa3)	喇 marks "now it is done"
You have not eaten yet	未食 mei6 sik6	"Not yet"; add 你呢 to turn it round
Asking a colleague about lunch	食晏未呀	The Hong Kong lunch word
Checking a child is full	食飽未	"Are you full yet?"
Asking about plans for the evening	食宵夜呀	Suggesting a late snack

Variations

The 未 ending works with other verbs: 去咗未 (heoi3 zo2 mei6, have you gone yet) and 做咗未 (zou6 zo2 mei6, have you done it yet).
Answer with the verb: 食咗 (yes), 未 (not yet). No need for a full sentence.
For "no, and I will not": 唔食 (m4 sik6), not eating at all, is a different answer to 未食.
The negative partner of 咗 is 未 (not yet); 冇 means did not. See 唔 vs 冇 for the difference.
As a greeting it fits family, neighbours and friends; with a stranger, a plain 你好 is safer.

The mistake to avoid

Ending the question with 嗎: 食咗飯嗎 sounds like Mandarin. The question ends in 未, and the answer for "not yet" is 未食, because 咗 describes a finished action and 未 is its pair. 冇食 is a different answer, "did not eat", so it does not reply to the question. Also do not treat it as a dinner invitation: the right reply is just yes or not yet.

More learner answers on the FAQ page; next Mandarin bridges: nǐ hǎo ma, duōshao qián, zǎoshang hǎo, or browse all Mandarin-to-Cantonese guides.

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