Cantonese phrasebook

Table of Contents

Pronunciation guide / Tones / Vowels / Common diphthongs / Consonants / Phrase list / Basics / Problems / Numbers / Time / Clock time / Duration / Days / Months / Colors / Transportation / Bus and train / Directions / Taxi / Lodging / Money / Eating / Cantonese phrasebook nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Shopping / Driving

Cantonese (Gwong2 dung1 wa2) is a widely spoken Chinese language. It is the local language in current use within the province of Guangdong, China, official language in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, as well as in the Special Administrative Region of Macau, and used in many overseas Chinese communities in South-East Asia and elsewhere, with Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) being two places where Cantonese is the dominant language in a Chinese community that is in turn huge and influential. Cantonese is also the dominant language in many Chinatowns all over the world, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Vancouver, Toronto, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The word "dialect" means something different when applied to Chinese than it does for most other languages. Chinese "dialects" have not only widely diverging pronunciations of the same words, but also use different words for expressing the same thing, and different grammar such as different word order. As a result, different Chinese dialects can be mutually unintelligible. The difference between one dialect and another can be as small as that between, say, Spanish and Portuguese, or as large as that between German and English. Meanwhile, there are different variations of the Cantonese dialect that differ greatly from one another. For example, the Cantonese spoken in the far west of Guangdong province (eg. Taishan) is hardly or not at all intelligible to a native of Guangzhou city.

Speakers of all Chinese varieties do, in general, use the same characters in reading and writing. Written language is more formal and closer to standard Mandarin Pou2 tung1 wa2 (Mandarin), even when used by Cantonese speakers. Oral Cantonese contains many words for which there has traditionally not existed a written form. In recent decades, however, characters for many of these words have been created, chiefly by the Hong Kong popular printed media such as newspapers and magazines. It should be noted that the different Cantonese-speaking communities use one of two different forms of writing: in Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and many overseas Chinese communities, traditional Chinese characters are in use, whereas the Cantonese-speaking communities in mainland China's Guangdong province as well as Singapore use simplified Chinese characters.

In many cases the regional varieties are not clearly regionalised but vary gradually across a region. Thus linguists can identify anywhere between seven and seventeen separate Chinese languages where the speakers of different dialects are mutually unintelligible. This list is based on the Cantonese spoken in Guangzhou. Note that the Cantonese spoken in Hong Kong and Macau differ slightly due to Western influences, though standard Cantonese as spoken in Guangzhou would be understood by everyone. The Cantonese spoken in Singapore and Malaysia also differ slightly due to Malay influences.

Some of the phrases in the list cannot be translated from English to Cantonese.

Pronunciation guide

(based on Jyut-Ping system developed by LSHK, The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong)

Tones

Cantonese is a tonal language. This means that the same syllable, pronounced in a different tone, has a different meaning. To complicate this, there may be more than one character pronounced as the same syllable with the same tone (though this is uncommon). In this case, context usually helps resolve the ambiguity. This may sound daunting, but is in fact is better than say, english, where there are a great deal of words that are spoken identically (eg. their, there, they're) and have nothing but context to help determine which one it is. Cantonese has context and tone to help distinguish words.

Different variations of the Cantonese dialect have a different number of tones, from as few as six to as many as ten or more. Most speakers, however, and all modern linguistic interpretations get by with being able to distinguish (both in spoken and heard Cantonese) between the following six tones:

1 - high, 2 - high rising, 3 - high falling, 4 - low level, 5 - low rising, 6 - low falling. 7 - high stoppage, 8 - mid stoppage, 9 - low stoppage

It should be noted that a native Cantonese speaker will have great difficulty understanding a non-native speaker unless syllable and tone are properly pronounced. It has been stated that Cantonese is one of the most difficult languages in the world (i.e. if considered as a separate language apart from standard Chinese). The very minor initial difficulty in learning the tones is more than made up for by simple grammar, and absence of almost all plurals, genders, tenses and forms that plague the English language.

Vowels

(based on Jyut-Ping system developed by LSHK)

Romanised cantonese pronunciation guide based on the Jyut-Ping System.

Sounds can only be approximated at best using romanisation. This guide gives a general indication of the correct sound to make, but the best way to be completely accurate is to listen closely to native speakers and mimic the sounds they make.

"a" --> "uh" sound as in "gun" or "sun".

"aa" --> "a" sound as in "father".

"e" --> "e" sound as in "ten"

"i" --> "ee" sound as in "mean" or "preen".

"o" --> "aw" sound as in "awe" or "saw".

"ou" --> "oh" sound as in "own" or "loan".

"u" --> "oo" sound as in "spoon" or "soon".

Common diphthongs

(based on Jyut-Ping system developed by LSHK)

"au" --> "ow" sound as in "loud" or "mouth". e.g. 口 = hau2

"eoi" --> "u" sound as in "flurry". e.g. 推=teoi1

"iu" --> "ew" sound as in "few" or "pew". e.g. 錶 = biu1

"oi" --> "oy" sound as in "joy" or "ploy". e.g. 該 =goi1

"yu" --> same as the German "ü" or French "u" sounds. e.g. 如 = jyu4

Consonants

(based on Jyut-Ping system developed by LSHK)

"Ng" --> pronounced exactly the same as English "ng" at the end of such words as "song", "bring", lung".

"c" --> can be spoken like English "ts" as in "sits" Easily mispronounced by American as "ch" in English as if in "church".

"L" --> Can be spoken like English "l" sound as in "length".

"N" --> Can be spoken like English "n" sound as in "no", but is often found to be a mix of "n" and "l" sounds.

"z" --> can be spoken like English "ds" as in "deeds" Easily mispronounced by American as "j" in English "j" as if in "joke".

Hard consonants at the ends of words like "t", "p" and "k" are clipped, also called "stoppage", meaning that the ending consonants are nonaspirated and should not be overtly enunciated, as if you were saying the unaccented syllable in the words like "forget", "turnip", or "padlock".

Phrase list

An "m4" sound can be used as a prefix on many words to imply the "not" or opposite form. For example "hou2" means good, "m4 hou2" means not good, i.e. bad. It is pronounced exactly the same as an english "m" sound, as if you were going "ummmmmm" but shorter.

Basics

Hello: 喂 Wai3. (over the phone)
How are you?: 你點樣呀? Nei5 dim2 yeung6 aa3? / 你好嗎? Nei5 hou2 maa1? / 點呀 Dim2 aa3? (informal)
Fine, thank you.: 唔錯 M4 goi1. [No need to say "thank you" in Cantonese]
What is your name?: 你叫乜名 Nei5 giu3 mat1 meng4?
My name is __Bonnie____ .: 我個名叫___. Ngo5 ge3 meng4 giu3 ______ .
Nice to meet you.: 幸會. Hang6 wui6.
Please.: 請 cheng2/cing2.
Thank you. ("after someone does something for you"): 唔該 M4 goi1.
Thank you. ("when someone gives you a gift"): 多謝 Do1 ze6.
You're welcome.: 唔使 M4 sai2. / 唔使客氣 M4 sai2 haak3 hei3. / 唔使唔該 M4 sai2 m4 goi1.
Yes.: 係 Hai6.
No.: 唔係 M4 hai6.
Excuse me/pardon me/sorry.: 對唔住 deoi3 m4 zyu6.
Goodbye: 再見 Zoi3 gin3.
I can't speak name of language.: 我唔識講... Ngo5 m4 sik1 gong2 "name of language"
Excuse me, do you speak English?: 請問你識唔識講英文呀? Cheng2 man6, nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 gong1 jing1 man4 aa3?
Is there someone here who speaks English?: 請問有冇人識講英文呀? Cheng2 man6 jau5 mou5 jan4 sik1 gong2 jing1 man2 aa3?
Help!: 救命啊! Gau3 meng6 aa1!
Look out!: 小心! Siu2 sam1!
Good morning.: 早晨 Zou2 san4.
I don't understand.: 我唔明白 Ngo5 m4 ming4 bak6.
Where is the toilet?: 廁所喺邊度? Ci3 so2 hai2 bin1 dou6?

Problems

Leave me alone.: 唔好搞我 M4 hou2 gaau2 ngo5.
Don't touch me!: 唔好掂我! M4 hou2 dim6 ngo5!
I'll call the police.: 我會叫警察 Ngo5 wui6 giu3 ging2 caat3.
Police!: 警察! Ging2 caat3!
Stop! Thief!: 咪走! 賊仔! Mai5 zau2! Caak6 zai2!
I need your help.: 唔該幫吓我 M4 goi1 bong1 haa5 ngo5.
It's an emergency.: 好緊急 Hou2 gan2 gap1.
I'm lost.: 我蕩失路 Ngo5 dong6 sat1 lou6.
I lost my bag.: 我唔見咗個袋 Ngo5 m4 gin3 zo2 go3 doi6.
I dropped my wallet.: 我唔見咗銀包 Ngo5 m4 gin3 zo2 ngan4 baau1.
I'm sick.: 我唔舒服 Ngo5 m4 syu1 fuk6.
I've been injured.: 我受咗傷 Ngo5 sau6 zo2 soeng1.
Please call a doctor.: 唔該幫我叫醫生 M4 goi1 bong1 ngo5 giu3 yi1 sang1.
Can I use your phone?: 可唔可以借嗰電話用？ Ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ze3 go2 din6 waa2 jung6.

Numbers

0: 零 ling4
1: 一 jat1
2: 二 ji6
3: 三 saam1
4: 四 sei3
5: 五 ng5
6: 六 luk6
7: 七 cat1
8: 八 baat3
9: 九 gau2
10: 十 sap6

After learn the following it becomes much easier to work out from up to 100. Cantonese makes numbers much easier, by writing down simple calculations which represents another number, for example:

11: 十一 sap6 jat1 (10 + 1)
12: 十二 sap6 ji6 (10 + 2)
13: 十三 sap6 saam1 (10 + 3)
20: 二十 ji6 sap6 (2 lots of 10)
39: 三十九 saam1 sap6 gau2 (3 lots of 10 + 9)

Then it comes to the larger numbers:

100: 一百 jat1 baak3
1000: 一千 jat1 cin1
10,000: 一萬 jat1 maan6
100,000: 十萬 sap6 maan6
1,000,000: 一百萬 jat1 baak3 maan6
10,000,000: 一千萬 jat1 cin1 maan6
100,000,000: 一億 jat1 jik1

Time

Today: 今日 gam1 jat6
Tomorrow: 聽日 ting1 jat6
The next day: 第二日 dai6 ji6 jat6
The day before last: 前日 cin4 jat6
The day after tomorrow: 後日 hau6 jat6
yesterday: 尋日/琴日 cam4 jat6/kam4 jat6

Clock time

Hour: 點 dim2 / 點鐘 dim2 zung1 (optional)
Minute: 分 fan1
Second: 秒 miu5

In Cantonese there are two ways of expressing the hours. There is the short way:

One o'clock: 一點 jat1 dim2
two o'clock: 兩點 liang dian

And the long way:

Three o'clock: 三點鐘 saam1 dim2 zung1
Twelve o'clock: 十二點鐘 sap6 ji6 dim2 zung1

Morning: 上午 soeng6 ng5
In the morning: 朝早 ziu1 zou2
Noon: 正午 zing3 ng5 / 中午 zung1 ng5
Afteroon: 晏晝 aan3 zau3 / 下午 haa6 ng5 / 下晝 haa6 zau3
Evening: 晚上 maan5 soeng6
In the evening: 夜晚 je6 maan5
Midnight: 半夜 bun3 je6
After midnight: 凌晨 ling4 san4
one thirty/half one: 一點半 jat1 dim2 bun3
quarter past one: 一點三 jat1 dim2 saam1
quarter to one: 十二點九 sap6 ji6 dim2 gau2
one sixteen and fifty six seconds: 一點十六分鐘五十六秒 jat1 dim2 sap6 luk6 fan1 zung1 ng5 sap6 luk6 miu5

Duration

Days

Day: 日 jat6
Week: 星期 sing1 kei4 / 禮拜 lai5 baai3
Monday: 星期一 sing1 kei4 jat1
Tuesday: 星期二 sing1 kei4 ji6
Wednesday: 星期三 sing1 kei4 saam1
Thursday: 星期四 sing1 kei4 sei3
Friday: 星期五 sing1 kei4 ng5
Saturday: 星期六 sing1 kei4 luk6
Sunday: 星期日 sing1 kei4 jat6
Everyday: 天天 tin1 tin1 / 日日 jat6 jat6 / 每天 mui5 tin1 / 每日 mui5 jat6

Months

A year: 一年 jat1 nin4
A month: 一個月 jat1 go3 jyut6
January: 一月 jat1 jyut6
February: 二月 ji6 jyut6
March: 三月 saam1 jyut6
April: 四月 sei3 jyut6
May: 五月 ng5 jyut6
June: 六月 luk6 jyut6
July: 七月 cat1 jyut6
August: 八月 baat3 jyut6
September: 九月 gau2 jyut6
October: 十月 sap6 jyut6
November: 十一月 sap6 jat1 jyut6
December: 十二月 sap6 ji6 jyut6

Colors

red: 紅色 hung4 sik1
orange: 橙色 caang2/4 sik1
yellow: 黃色 wong4 sik1
green: 綠色 luk6 sik1
light green (grass): 青 ceng1 (written: cing1)
dark green: 菜青 coi3 ceng1
blue: 藍色 laam4 sik1
purple: 紫色 zi2 sik1
grey: 灰色 fui1 sik1
brown: 咖啡色 gaa3 fe1/fei1 sik1 / 啡色 fe1/fei1 sik1
black: 黑色 hak1 sik1
white: 白色 baak6 sik1
gold: 金色 gam1 sik1
silver: 銀色 ngan4 sik1
light: 淺- cin2
dark: 深- sam1

Transportation

Bus and train

Directions

Turn Left - Jin Joh

Turn Right - Jin Yao

Stop here - Yau lok

Taxi

Taxi: 的士 dik1 si2 (also seen as dik1 si6*2 indicating that in this word the tone changes from 6 to 2)

Lodging

Money

Eating

have you eaten yet?

你食咗飯未呀? lei5/nei5 sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6 aa3? (Also often used as a general greeting.)