广东话 (Guǎngdōnghuà) literally means 'Guangdong speech' — '广东' refers to Guangdong Province in southern China, and '话' means 'speech' or 'language'. It is the most common name used in Mandarin Chinese to refer to Cantonese, the Sinitic language spoken primarily in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. Though often called a 'dialect' in English, linguists classify it as a distinct language due to its mutually unintelligible pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary compared to Mandarin.

广东话 is widely used in daily life, media, and business across southern China and overseas Chinese communities. While Mandarin is the official national language, 广东话 remains dominant in informal settings, local TV, and pop culture in its home region. Note that speakers may also call it 'Cantonese' in English or '粤语' (Yuèyǔ) in formal or academic contexts — the latter emphasizes its historical link to the ancient Yue region.