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Learning Cantonese

Hong Kong’s two official languages are English and Cantonese. As Cantonese is used in Hong Kong everyday life by the vast majority of the population, learning to speak Cantonese is would allow you to get around Hong Kong easily. In this section, you will be able to find some useful tips for learning cantonese. In othe subpages of this section, we produced a series of Cantonese Learning Classroom with English scripts included. 

 

Introduction to Cantonese

Cantonese is regarded as one of the most difficult dialect to learn from the perspective of a foreigner. It has seven tones, making it a very complex system to describe. For the sake of simplicity no tones are marked in the Romanized pronunciations below.

Photo Source: www.discoverhongkong.com

Social Meeting People

 

Hello, how are you?

nei ho ma? 你好嗎？

 

Fine, thank you.

gei ho, duo jie. 幾好，多謝。

 

Good Morning.

Jo san 早晨

 

Goodbye

Baai baai 拜拜

 

Thank you very much

Do je saai/m goi sai 多謝曬

 

Thanks (for a gift or special favour)

Do je 多謝

 

Thanks (making a request or purchase)

Um goi 唔該

 

You’re welcome

Um sai haak hei 唔使客氣

 

Excuse me. (after bumping into someone)

Dui um jue 對唔住

 

Excuse me(call for attention)

Um goi 唔該

 

What’s your suername?

Cheng man guai sing? 請問貴姓

 

My name is….

Ngo giu 我叫

 

Do you speak English?

Nei sik um sik gong ying man a? 你識唔識講英文啊？

 

Do you understand?

Nei ming um ming a 你明唔明？

 

I understand

Ngo ming我明

 

I don’t understand

Ngo um ming 我唔明

 

Can you repeat that please?

Cheng joi gong yat chi? 請再講一次

Going out

What’s on…?

Yau di mat ye a….? 有啲乜野呀

 

Locally

Ni do ge 呢道嘅

 

This weekend

Nigo jau mut 呢個週末

 

Today

Gam yat 今日

 

Tonight

Gam mann 今晚

 

Where are the best….?

Bin do hei jui ho ge…? 邊度係最好嘅？

 

Restaurant

Chaan teng 餐廳

 

I would like to go to…

Ngo seung hui……我想去

 

Does this bus goes to….?

Hui m hui … a? 去唔去…. 啊？

 

I want to get off…

Ngo seung lok ch…. 我想落車

 

How much is it….?

Yiu gei do chin…. A? 要幾多錢啊？

 

Question Words

Who?

Bin go a? 邊個呀？

 

What?

Mat yet a? 乜野呀

 

When?

Gei si a? 幾時啊？

 

Where?

Bin do a? 邊度啊？

 

How?

Dim yeung a? 點樣呀？

 

Shopping

I want to buy

Ngo seung maai…. 我想買

 

How much is this?

Ni go gei do chin a? 呢個幾多錢啊？

 

I’m just looking

Ngo sin tai yat tai 我先睇一睇

 

More do di 多啲

 

Less siu di 少啲

 

Numbers

0  ling

1   yat

2   yi

3  saam

4  sei

5  ng

6  luk

7  chat

8  baat

9   gau

10  sap

11  sap yat

12   sap yi

20   yi sap

21   yi sap yat

100   yat baak

101   yat baak ling yat

110   yat baak yat sap

200   yi baak

1000    yat chin

10000  yat mann

100000 sap mann

 

 

Day of the week

Monday

Sing kei yat 星期一

 

Tuesday

Sing kei yi星期二

 

Wednesday

Sing kei saam星期三

 

Thursday

Sing kei sei星期四

 

Friday

Sing kei ng星期五

 

Saturday

Sing kei luk星期六

 

Sunday

Sing kei yat星期日

 

Emergencies

We hope that you won't be able to use these phrases in Hong Kong, just in case as a measure of contingency we provide these phrases for you.

 

Help!

Gau meng a! 救命啊

 

Could you please help me?

Ho m ho yi cheng nei bong sau a? 可唔可以請你幫手啊？

 

Call the police!

Giu ging chaat! 叫警察！

 

Call an ambulance!

Giu gau wu che! 叫救護車！

 

Call a doctor!

Giu yi sang! 叫醫生！

 

Where’s the police station?

Ging chue hai bin do a? 警署係邊度啊？

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