Everybody makes mistakes. And yes, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll make mistakes while learning a new language, especially one as difficult as Cantonese!
Making mistakes is no big deal—as you come closer to fluency in a language, you’ll have the time to figure out what mistakes you’re still making and how to address them. And that’s exactly what this guide is about.
In this article, we’ll list the most common Cantonese mistakes people make when learning the language, covering a wide range of categories from pronunciation to word order. By the end of this article, you should be able to spot many mistakes, some of which are very easy to fix!
Table of Contents
- Pronunciation Mistakes
- Vocabulary Word Mistakes
- Word Order Mistakes
- Grammar Mistakes
- Another Big Mistake in Cantonese
- The Biggest Mistake: Being Afraid of Making Mistakes in Cantonese!
- How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. Pronunciation Mistakes
Mistake #1: Using the wrong tones
Most learners aren’t familiar with tonal languages like Cantonese. In tonal languages, the meaning of a word can change depending on the pitch, even if the pronunciation remains the same. To people who don’t speak a tonal language, some tones may sound identical! This problem of perception is perhaps the most difficult part of learning a language like Cantonese.
If you’ve learned even a little bit of Cantonese, you probably know by now that we can use a romanization system called “Jyutping,” which consists of two components: “pronunciation,” followed by a “tone number.” Be mindful that even if the “pronunciation” of two or more words is identical, the meaning of the words can be very different if they have different “tone numbers.”
For example:
| Chinese Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 巴 | baa1 | “bus” |
| 把 | baa2 | “handle” |
| 罷 | baa6 | “cease” |
As you can see, changing the pitch can have a huge impact on the meaning! Always keep your eye and ear out for changes in tone and pitch to avoid a confusing mistake in Cantonese.
Mistake #2: Mixing up J and Y in the Jyutping system
The Jyutping romanization system is a bit different from English, and one of the most confusing aspects of it is the J consonant. Although it’s represented as a J, it actually sounds like an English Y. So whenever you see the letter J in Jyutping, remember that it’s pronounced as a Y sound.
For example:
| Chinese Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 有 | jau5 | “have” |
| 二 | ji3 | “two” |
| 元 | jyun4 | “dollar” |
Mistake #3: Mispronouncing the C and Z consonants
The Cantonese C sounds a bit like a TS sound, like in “tsunami.” But unlike with the traditional TS sound in English, try to emphasize the T more than the S in Cantonese. Pronouncing it quickly may sometimes help with pronouncing the Cantonese C properly. Lastly, you want to release a burst of turbulent air when you’re pronouncing this sound.
The Cantonese Z sound is identical to that of the Cantonese C, except that you do not produce a burst of air. It has a strong DZ sound.
For example:
| Chinese Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 千 | cin1 | “thousand” |
| 抽 | cau1 | “draw” |
| 俏 | ciu3 | “pretty” |
| 煎 | zin1 | “fry” |
| 周 | zau1 | (common last name) |
| 照 | ziu3 | “shine” |
2. Vocabulary Word Mistakes
Mistake #4: Mixing up 咗 (zo2) and 過 (gwo3)
The great thing about Cantonese is that there are no verb tenses, conjugations, etc. However, there are two little words used to show that something took place in the past. These little words are particles, and they often come after a verb: 咗 (zo2) and 過 (gwo3).
Since both 咗 (zo2) and 過 (gwo3) indicate past tense, it’s quite common for people (especially beginners) to get these mixed up:
| 咗 | 過 | |
| Romanization | zo2 | gwo3 |
| Meaning | shows that an action is complete, similar to the English “-ed” that comes after a verb when an action is done | shows an experience that someone has had before in the past |
| Take the sentence 我去 (ngo5 heoi3), meaning “I go,” as an example: | ||
| Characters | 我去咗 | 我去過 |
| Romanization | ngo5 heoi3 zo2 | ngo5 heoi3 gwo3 |
| Meaning | “I went.” | “I’ve been (there).” |
From the example sentences above, you can see that when you add 咗 (zo2) to the sentence 我去 (ngo5 heoi3), or “I go,” the “go” becomes “went.” But if you add 過 (gwo3) instead, the “go” becomes “been.”
Mistake #5: Mixing up 唔 (m4) and 冇 (mou5)
There are two ways to negate a Cantonese verb: with 唔 (m4) or with 冇 (mou5). We put either of these two words in front of the verb to show that it is negative, but sometimes, it can be confusing to know when to use which.
The table below demonstrates the difference between the two:
| 唔 | 冇 | |
| Romanization | m4 | mou5 |
| Meaning | negates action verbs in the present & future, or when talking about habitual things | negates verbs in the past tense, such as when you describe an action that either did not happen, or is not yet complete |
| Take the sentence 我食 (ngo5 sik6), meaning: “I eat,” as an example: | ||
| Characters | 我唔食 | 我冇食 |
| Romanization | ngo5 m4 sik6 | ngo5 mou5 sik6 |
| Meaning | “I don’t eat.” | “I didn’t eat.” |
There are actually a couple more instances where you can use 冇 (mou5) to negate, but we’ll keep it simple here. You may check out our dictionary or class content to learn more!
3. Word Order Mistakes
Mistake #6: Putting the question word first in a question
In English, we usually start a question with the “W” words, like “Why,” “What,” and “Where,” but this is not the case in Cantonese. We do it the other way around, putting the Cantonese question word at the end of the question.
Take “Where is my book?” as an example:
- Where: 邊 (bin1)
- Is: 喺 (hai2)
- My book: 我本書 (ngo5 bun2 syu1)
If you arrange the words in the English way, you’ll have 邊喺我本書 (bin1 hai2 ngo5 bun2 syu1), which is incorrect in Cantonese. The correct way to ask the question is: 我本書喺邊？(ngo5 bun2 syu1 hai2 bin1).
Let’s look at two more examples: “Who is she?” and “What are you eating?”
- Who: 邊個 (bin1 go3)
- Is: 喺 (hai2)
- She: 佢 (keoi5)
- Correct order: 佢係邊個？(keoi5 hai6 bin1 go3)
- What: 咩呀 (me1 aa3)
- You: 你 (nei5)
- (Are) eating: 食緊 (sik6 gan2)
- Correct order: 你食緊咩呀？(nei5 sik6 gan2 me1 aa3)
Mistake #7: Putting time adverbs at the end of a sentence
In English, we usually put the time adverb at the end, or occasionally at the beginning, of a sentence. But in Cantonese, we put the time adverb before the verb instead.
The correct way to add “time” to a simple “Subject (S) + Verb (V) + Object (O)” sentence in Cantonese is: “S + Time + V + O.”
Take “I watched a movie last week” as an example:
- I: 我 (ngo5)
- Watch: 睇 (tai2)
- Movie: 戲 (hei3)
- Last week: 上個禮拜 (soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3)
- Correct order: 我上個禮拜睇戲 (ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tai2 hei3)
Want to learn more about how to arrange words in Cantonese? Check out our article on Cantonese word order for more detailed information!
4. Grammar Mistakes
Mistake #8: Directly translating from English to Cantonese without considering parts of speech or context
Have you ever directly translated something from English to Cantonese? Sometimes it works, but very often, your listener may find it confusing. It’s like using Google Translate (it’s a very convenient tool, no doubt!) without double-checking the results (as they may be a bit odd).
Take “He is very sick” as an example:
- Literal translation of “He is very sick” in Cantonese: 佢好病 (keoi5 hou2 beng6)
- Meaning of “佢好病”: “He’s crazy.”
- Correct translation of “He is very sick” in Cantonese: 佢病得好重 (keoi5 beng6 dak1 hou2 cung5)
It might take some time to develop a good understanding of the different parts of speech and how to more accurately translate into Cantonese, but no worries. Practice makes perfect. Try more, and learn from your mistakes!
Mistake #9: Using (or not using) a final particle
There are many final particles in Cantonese to indicate a change of mood or even the meaning of a word or phrase. If you use the wrong Cantonese particle, you may end up expressing the wrong emotion. And in some cases, forgetting to include a final particle may come across as rude!
Below are some examples of final particles:
| Particle | Meaning | Example |
| 呀 (aa3) | used in neutral questions, or to soften the tone of affirmative statements so they don’t sound as abrupt | 我返屋企呀 ngo5 faan2 uk1 kei2 aa3“I’m going home.” |
| 啦 (laa1) | used in requests and imperatives (leaving it out could make the sentence sound rude) | 俾我啦 bei2 ngo5 laa1“Give it to me (please).” |
| 囉 (lo1) | indicates a suggestion or conclusion that should be obvious | 我冇車咪返唔到屋企囉 ngo5 mou5 ce1 mai6 faan2 m4 dou2 uk1 kei2 lo1“Without a car (of course), I am unable to go home.” |
5. Another Big Mistake in Cantonese
Mistake #10: Using too many words
A lot of Cantonese-learners, in an attempt to translate what is polite in their own language, will make a mess of a sentence in Cantonese by adding a lot of unnecessary words. Cantonese actually says things a lot more directly!
Take “Would you mind going to the store for me, please” as an example:
- A native Cantonese-speaker would ask with: 你去士多？(nei5 heoi3 si6 do1)
- Literal translation of “你去士多”: “You go store?”
A lot of westerners find it strange to be so concise—it would feel rude to say that in English. But finding places to add superfluous “pleases” and stuff is unnecessary. It’s okay to use less words in Cantonese. It doesn’t sound rude at all.
6. The Biggest Mistake: Being Afraid of Making Mistakes in Cantonese!
The truth is that the only way you’re going to get a standard accent, order sentences correctly, or get better at using and understanding tones is through making mistakes. So don’t worry. Even if you make a mistake, Cantonese people can usually guess what you’re saying, especially when there’s context. And if they can’t understand, there are always charades.
The point is, you need to get out there and practice. Use the words you know. Engage in conversation. Then you’ll start to correct yourself, and your ear will get tuned to the language. Cantonese people love it when you try, so they’ll be very encouraging, for sure!
7. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
Learning from mistakes surely helps, but so does learning from 1000+ audio and video lessons!
With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!
Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
Before you go, let us know in the comments how many of these mistakes you’ve made before, and if this article was helpful for you. We look forward to hearing from you!
The Top 10 Most Common Cantonese Questions and Answers
Just imagine: You’re going out with a group of native Cantonese-speakers. This is the perfect opportunity to make friends and practice your Cantonese in a real-life situation! But how do you break the ice? What should you say if you run out of topics or if your Cantonese isn’t solid enough to fuel the conversation?
The universal answer is: ask questions!
Among countless benefits, being able to ask questions in Cantonese will help you avoid awkward silences by keeping the conversation going. It will also make the other person feel like you want to know more about them and value their opinion, thus making you more likeable. Asking questions opens a world of new information and cultural insight!
And one more perk: you don’t have to talk too much, just sit back and listen. Don’t think about your next question or how to steer the conversation back toward yourself. Just enjoy the ride and dive into whatever the other person has to say.
Convinced yet?
In this guide, you’ll not only learn how to ask questions in Cantonese, but also how to answer them. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- What’s your name?
- Where are you from?
- Do you speak Cantonese?
- How long have you been studying ?
- Have you been to [country/city]?
- How are you?
- What time is it?
- What are you doing?
- What’s wrong?
- How much is it?
- How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. What’s your name?
Q: 你叫咩名?
“What’s your name?” has to be the most common conversation starter of all. Make sure you keep it in your pocket list!
Romanization: nei5 giu3 me1 meng2
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 你 | nei5 | You |
| 叫 | giu3 | Call |
| 咩 | me1 | What |
| 名 | meng2 | Name |
A: 我叫。
The answer to this question is pretty straightforward. You either state your name directly, or add the words 我叫before your name and make it “我叫.”
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 .
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 我 | ngo5 | I |
| 叫 | giu3 | Call |
See some examples of how to answer this question in Cantonese below!
Example 1
Chinese Characters: 我叫欣怡。
Meaning: My name is Yan-yee.
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 jan1 ji4
Example 2
Chinese Characters: 我叫俊傑。
Meaning: My name is Chun-kit.
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 zeon3 git6
Example 3
Chinese Characters: 我叫詠珊。
Meaning: My name is Wing-shan.
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 wing6 saan1
Example 4
Chinese Characters: 我叫偉文。
Meaning: My name is Wai-man.
Romanization: ngo5 giu3 wai5 man4
2. Where are you from?
Q: 你邊度嚟㗎？
This Cantonese question opens up a lot of possible conversation topics, such as cultural differences and must-see places, for you and your new Cantonese friends!
Romanization: nei5 bin1 dou6 lei4 gaa3
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 你 | nei5 | You |
| 邊度 | bin1 dou6 | Where |
| 嚟 | lei4 | Come |
| 㗎 | gaa3 | a Cantonese question particle that indicates question or doubt |
A: 我嚟嘅。
There are two ways you can answer this question. The first is by answering directly with your city or country:
- 香港 (hoeng1 gong2) – “Hong Kong”
You may also add the word 我 before “Hong Kong,” and 嚟嘅 after it: 我香港嚟嘅.
Romanization: ngo5 lei4 ge3
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 我 | ngo5 | I |
| 嚟 | lei4 | To come |
| 嘅 | ge3 | a final particle that implies assertion with emphasis |
Here are some examples:
Example 1
Chinese Characters: 我美國嚟嘅。
Meaning: I’m from the U.S.
Romanization: ngo5 mei5 gwok3 lei4 ge3
Example 2
Chinese Characters: 我英國嚟嘅。
Meaning: I’m from England.
Romanization: ngo5 jing1 gwok3 lei4 ge3
Example 3
Chinese Characters: 我中國嚟嘅。
Meaning: I’m from China.
Romanization: ngo5 zung1 gwok3 lei4 ge3
Example 4
Chinese Characters: 我德國嚟嘅。
Meaning: I’m from Germany.
Romanization: ngo5 dak1 gwok3 lei4 ge3
- → For a list of more countries, check out CantoneseClass101’s relevant vocabulary list!
3. Do you speak Cantonese?
Q: 你識唔識講？
This is one of those basic Cantonese questions that you may be asked when you meet new friends in Hong Kong!
Romanization: nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 gong2
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 你 | nei5 | You |
| 識唔識 | sik1 m4 sik1 | To know or not |
| 講 | gong2 | Speak |
Here’s an example:
Chinese Characters: 你識唔識講廣東話?
Meaning: Do you speak Cantonese?
Romanization: nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 gong2 gwong2 dung1 waa2
A: Varies
Depending on how well you know the language, you can answer with one of the below phrases!
| Answer | Romanization | Meaning |
| 識少少。 | sik1 siu2 siu2 | Yes, I speak a little. |
| 識一啲。 | sik1 jat1 di1 | Yes, I speak some. |
| 識啲啲。 | sik1 di1 di1 | Yes, I speak a little bit. |
| 識大部分。 | sik1 daai6 bou6 fan6 | Yes, I speak quite a lot. |
4. How long have you been studying ?
Q: 你學咗幾耐？
Once your new Cantonese friends find out that you speak at least a little bit of their language, you may very likely be asked this question!
Romanization: nei5 hok6 zo2 gei2 noi6
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 你 | nei5 | You |
| 學咗 | hok6 zo2 | To have learned |
| 幾耐 | gei2 noi6 | How long |
Here’s an example:
Chinese Characters: 你學咗廣東話幾耐?
Meaning: How long have you been studying Cantonese?
Romanization: nei5 hok6 zo2 gwong2 dung1 waa2 gei2 noi6
A: Varies
Here are a few examples of how you can answer this question.
| Answer | Romanization | Meaning |
| 一個月。 | jat1 go3 jyut6 | For one month. |
| 一年。 | jat1 nin4 | For one year. |
| 三個月。 | saam1 go3 jyut6 | For three months. |
| 兩年。 | loeng5 nin4 | For two years. |
5. Have you been to [country/city]?
Q: 你有冇去過？
Another great conversation starter. You can share your travel stories and learn more about your Cantonese friends’ adventures!
Romanization: nei5 jau5 mou5 heoi3 gwo3
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 你 | nei5 | You |
| 有冇 | jau5 mou5 | To have or to not have |
| 去過 | heoi3 gwo3 | Have been |
Here’s an example:
Chinese Characters: 你有冇去過香港?
Meaning: Have you been to Hong Kong?
Romanization: nei5 jau5 mou5 heoi3 gwo3 hoeng1 gong2
A: Varies
| Answer | Romanization | Meaning |
| 有呀，去過兩次。 | jau5 aa3, heoi3 gwo3 loeng5 ci3 | Yes, I’ve been twice. |
| 有呀，去過四次。 | jau5 aa3, heoi3 gwo3 sei3 ci3 | Yes, I’ve been four times. |
| 有呀，去過一次。 | jau5 aa3, heoi3 gwo3 jat1 ci3 | Yes, I’ve been once. |
| 冇呀。 | mou5 aa3 | No. (I have never been.) |
6. How are you?
Q: 你好嗎？
This is one of the most useful Cantonese questions to know, especially once you’ve made some good friends and want to inquire about their well-being.
Romanization: nei5 hou2 maa3
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 你 | nei5 | You |
| 好 | hou2 | Good |
| 嗎 | maa3 | a Cantonese question particle |
A: Varies
| Answer | Romanization | Meaning |
| 我幾好。 | ngo5 gei2 hou2 | I’m fine. |
| 我好好。 | ngo5 hou2 hou2 | I’m great. |
| 我非常好。 | ngo5 fei1 soeng4 hou2 | I’m very good. |
| 我唔係幾好。 | ngo5 m4 hai6 gei2 hou2 | I’m not so well. |
- → Do you need more vocabulary to answer this question? Have a look at our vocabulary list of words and phrases for describing your feelings!
7. What time is it?
Q: 而家幾點？
A great question to ask when you don’t have your watch with you!
Romanization: ji4 gaa1 gei2 dim2
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 而家 | ji4 gaa1 | Now |
| 幾 | gei2 | How long / How many / How much |
| 點 | dim2 | Time |
A: Varies
| Answer | Romanization | Meaning |
| 十二點。 | sap6 ji6 dim2 | It’s twelve o’clock. |
| 九點。 | gau2 dim2 | It’s nine o’clock. |
| 六點。 | luk6 dim2 | It’s six o’clock. |
| 兩點。 | loeng5 dim2 | It’s two o’clock. |
8. What are you doing?
Q: 你做緊咩？
Are you curious what your new bestie is up to? Ask them in Cantonese!
Romanization: nei5 zou6 gan2 me1
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 你 | nei5 | You |
| 做緊 | zou6 gan2 | Doing |
| 咩 | me1 | What |
A: Varies
| Answer | Romanization | Meaning |
| 我諗緊嘢。 | ngo5 lam2 gan2 je5 | I’m thinking. |
| 我食緊嘢。 | ngo5 sik6 gan2 je5 | I’m eating. |
| 我做緊嘢。 | ngo5 zou6 gan2 je5 | I’m working. |
| 我畫緊嘢。 | ngo5 waak6 gan2 je5 | I’m drawing. |
9. What’s wrong?
Q: 咩事呀？
Does your friend seem down today? Ask them what’s wrong, and lend a listening ear!
Romanization: me1 si6 aa3
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 咩 | me1 | What |
| 事 | si6 | Matter |
| 呀 | aa3 | a Cantonese question particle |
A: Varies
| Answer | Romanization | Meaning |
| 我好攰。 | ngo5 hou2 gui6 | I’m tired. |
| 我唔舒服。 | ngo5 m4 syu1 fuk6 | I’m unwell. |
| 我好眼瞓。 | ngo5 hou2 ngaan5 fan3 | I’m sleepy. |
| 我擔⼼。 | ngo5 daam1 sam1 | I’m worried. |
10. How much is it?
Q: 呢個幾錢？
You have to know this question if you plan on shopping in Hong Kong!
Romanization: ni1 go3 gei2 cin2
Breakdown:
| Character | Romanization | Meaning |
| 呢個 | ni1 go3 | This |
| 幾 | gei2 | How long / How many / How much |
| 錢 | cin2 | Money |
A: Varies
| Answer | Romanization | Meaning |
| 五十蚊。 | ng5 sap6 man1 | $50 |
| 一百蚊。 | jat1 baak3 man1 | $100 |
| 二千蚊 | ji6 cin1 man1 | $2000 |
| 兩百蚊。 | loeng5 baak3 man1 | $200 |
- → Do check out our number article for more examples!
11. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
By now, you should have a better idea of how to ask and answer the most common Cantonese questions. Are there any important questions or answers we didn’t include? Let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to help.
Fancy learning more Cantonese after familiarizing yourself with the questions and answers above?
With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program by upgrading your account!
Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
The 10 Most Useful Cantonese Sentence Patterns
Struggle to express yourself in Cantonese? No worries—we’ve got you covered! Today at CantoneseClass101.com, we’re covering the ten most basic and useful sentence patterns. Memorize these patterns, and you’ll be able to generate hundreds of natural sentences and converse with ease and confidence.
Without further ado, let’s go through the ten most useful Cantonese sentence patterns together!
Table of Contents- Linking Two Nouns: A is B
- Using Adjectives to Describe: A is [Adjective]
- Expressing “Want”
- Expressing “Need”
- Expressing “Like” or “Love”
- Politely Asking Someone to Do Something
- Asking for Permission
- Asking for Information About Something
- Asking About Time
- Asking About Location or Position
1. Linking Two Nouns: A is B
You can use this Cantonese sentence structure to say that one noun is also another noun.
Sentence Pattern: [A] 係 [B]。
Romanization: [A] hai6 [B]
Meaning: [A] is [B].
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 我係學生。
Romanization: ngo5 hai6 hok6 saang1
Meaning: “I am a student.”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 佢係醫生。
Romanization: keoi5 hai6 ji1 sang1
Meaning: “He is a doctor.”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 雖然佢係其中一個示威者，但係佢無做出任何暴力行為。
Romanization: seoi1 jin4 keoi5 hai6 kei4 zung1 jat1 go3 si6 wai1 ze2, daan6 hai6 keoi5 mou4 zou6 ceot1 jam6 ho4 bou6 lik6 hang4 wai4
Meaning: “Although he was one of the demonstrators, he did not commit any violence.”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 香港係我嘅家。
Romanization: hoeng1 gong2 hai6 ngo5 ge3 gaa1Meaning: “Hong Kong is my home.”
2. Using Adjectives to Describe: A is [Adjective]
This Cantonese sentence list provides examples of common sentences using adjectives to describe nouns. To create your own sentences, you may find it useful to visit our vocabulary list on the fifty most common adjectives in Cantonese.
Sentence Pattern: [A] 好 [B]。
Romanization: [A] hou2 [B]
Meaning: [A] is very [B (adjective)].
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 綺拉好靚女。
Romanization: ji2 laai1 hou2 leng3 neoi2
Meaning: “Kiera is very good-looking.”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 彭定康係英國人。
Romanization: paang4 ding6 hong1 hai6 jing1 gwok3 jan4
Meaning: “Patten is British.”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 香港好靚。
Romanization: hoeng1 gong2 hou2 leng3
Meaning: “Hong Kong is beautiful.”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 佢好得意。
Romanization: keoi5 hou2 dak1 ji3
Meaning: “It is cute.”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 我好傻，竟然信佢。
Romanization: ngo5 hou2 so4, ging2 jin4 seon3 keoi5
Meaning: “I am foolish enough to have trusted him.”
Example sentence 6
Chinese Characters: 佢好煩，不停懷疑我到底係咪鍾意佢。
Romanization: keoi5 hou2 faan4, bat1 ting4 waai4 ji4 ngo5 dou3 dai2 hai6 mai6 zung1 ji3 keoi5
Meaning: “He is so annoying—he kept questioning whether I love him or not.”
3. Expressing “Want”
Some of the most useful Cantonese phrases are those for letting others know what you want. Here are some examples of how you can do this.
Sentence Pattern: [A] 想 [B]。
Romanization: [A] soeng2 [B]
Meaning: [A] wants [B].
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 我想去廁所。
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 heoi3 ci3 so2
Meaning: “I want to go to the toilet.”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 佢想開party。
Romanization: keoi5 soeng2 hoi1 party
Meaning: “He wants to throw a party.”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 我想喊。
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 haam3
Meaning: “I want to cry.”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 佢想一腳踏兩船。
Romanization: keoi5 soeng2 jat1 goek3 daap6 loeng5 syun4
Meaning: “He wants to two-time.”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 我都想開心，但係日日見到呢啲咁sad嘅新聞好難開心喎。
Romanization: ngo5 dou1 soeng2 hoi1 sam1, daan6 hai6 jat6 jat6 gin3 dou2 ni1 di1 gam3 sad ge3 san1 man2 hou2 naan4 hoi1 sam1 wo3
Meaning: “I want to be happy too, but it’s very difficult to do so given that we are hearing sad news stories every day.”
4. Expressing “Need”
Learning Cantonese sentences for expressing what you need is even more important than learning those for expressing want. Take a look at these examples.
Sentence Pattern: [A] 要 [B]。
Romanization: [A] jiu3 [B]
Meaning: [A] needs [B].
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 我要休息一陣。
Romanization: ngo5 jiu3 jau1 sik1 jat1 jan6
Meaning: “I need to rest for a bit.”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 佢要道歉。
Romanization: keoi5 jiu3 dou6 hip3
Meaning: “She needs to apologize.”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 我要食朱古力。
Romanization: ngo5 jiu3 sik6 zyu1 gu2 lik2
Meaning: “I need to eat chocolate.”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 佢要再攞多兩日假。
Romanization: keoi5 jiu3 zoi3 lo2 do1 loeng5 jat6 gaa3
Meaning: “He needs two more days off.”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 佢同第二個拍拖，我知你好傷心，但係你要振作，咁你先可以喺你嘅真命天子出現時俾最好嘅你佢。
Romanization: keoi5 tung4 dai6 ji6 go3 paak3 to1, ngo5 zi1 nei5 hou2 soeng1 sam1, daan6 hai6 nei5 jiu3 zan3 zok3, gam2 nei5 sin1 ho2 ji5 hai2 nei5 ge3 zan1 ming6 tin1 zi2 ceot1 jin6 si4 bei2 zeoi3 hou2 ge3 nei5 keoi5
Meaning: “I know he’s dating someone else and you’re sad, but you need to stay strong, only that you will be able to show your best self when your true love comes into your life.”
5. Expressing “Like” or “Love”
Now let’s go over some Cantonese sentence examples for expressing your likes!
Sentence Pattern: [A] 鍾意 [B]。
Romanization: [A] zung1 ji3 [B]
Meaning: [A] likes/loves [B].
Note: 鍾意 (zung1 ji3) can mean “like,” “love,” or “enjoy.”
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 我鍾意多啦A夢。
Romanization: ngo5 zung1 ji3 do1 laa1 A mung6
Meaning: “I like Doraemon.”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 胖虎鍾意唱歌。
Romanization: bun6 fu2 zung1 ji3 coeng3 go1
Meaning: “Gian likes singing.”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 大雄鍾意靜香。
Romanization: daai6 hung4 zung1 ji3 zing6 hoeng1
Meaning: “Nobita loves Shizuka.”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 靜香鍾意拉小提琴。
Romanization: zing6 hoeng1 zung1 ji3 laai1 siu2 tai4 kam4
Meaning: “Shizuka likes playing violin.”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 小夫鍾意曬命，但係大雄、胖虎同靜香都仍然肯同佢做朋友。
Romanization: siu2 fu1 zung1 ji3 saai3 meng6, daan6 hai6 daai6 hung4, bun6 fu2 tung4 zing6 hoeng1 dou1 jing4 jin4 hang2 tung4 keoi5 zou6 pang4 jau5
Meaning: “Even though Suneo likes showing off, Nobita, Gian, and Shizuka are still willing to be friends with him.”
6. Politely Asking Someone to Do Something
The next type of Cantonese phrases we’ll look at are those for asking someone to do something in a polite way. Check it out:
Sentence Pattern: 請 [A]。
Romanization: cing2 [A]
Meaning: Please [A (verb)].
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 請坐。
Romanization: cing2 co5
Meaning: “Please take a seat.”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 請等等。
Romanization: cing2 dang2 dang2
Meaning: “Please wait.”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 請注意。
Romanization: cing2 zyu3 ji3
Meaning: “Please pay attention.”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 請停一停。
Romanization: cing2 ting4 jat1 ting4
Meaning: “Please stop for a while.”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 請選擇語言。
Romanization: cing2 syun2 zaak6 jyu5 jin4
Meaning: “Please select the language.”
7. Asking for Permission
Knowing how to ask for permission is important in every culture and language. Following are some examples of how to do this in Cantonese.
Sentence Pattern: [A] 可唔可以 [B]？
Romanization: [A] ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 [B]
Meaning: Can [A] [B (verb)]?
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 我哋可唔可以食嘢？
Romanization: ngo5 dei6 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 sik6 je5
Meaning: “Can we eat?”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 我哋可唔可以做個朋友？
Romanization: ngo5 dei6 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 zou6 go3 pang4 jau5
Meaning: “Can we be friends?”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 你可唔可以唔好控制慾咁強？
Romanization: nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 m4 hou2 hung3 zai3 juk6 gam3 koeng4
Meaning: “Can you be less controlling?”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 爸爸，我哋可唔可以唔搭地鐵啊？
Romanization: baa4 baa1, ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 m4 daap3 dei6 tit3 aa3
Meaning: “Dad, can we not take the MTR?”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 你可唔可以將你個女嫁畀我啊？
Romanization: nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 zoeng1 nei5 go3 neoi2 gaa3 bei2 ngo5 aa3
Meaning: “Can I marry your daughter?”
8. Asking for Information About Something
At some point, you’ll need to ask someone a question about something. Here’s the Cantonese sentence structure you should use to ask for information while in Hong Kong.
Sentence Pattern: [A] 係唔係 [B]？
Romanization: [A] hai6 m4 hai6 [B]
Meaning: Is [A] [B]?
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 你係唔係偉仔？
Romanization: nei5 hai6 m4 hai6 wai5 zai2
Meaning: “Are you Tony Leung?”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 你係唔係學生？
Romanization: nei5 hai6 m4 hai6 hok6 saang1
Meaning: “Are you a student?”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 佢係唔係傻㗎？
Romanization: keoi5 hai6 m4 hai6 so4 gaa3
Meaning: “Is she out of her mind?”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 我係唔係好靚呢？
Romanization: ngo5 hai6 m4 hai6 hou2 leng3 ne1
Meaning: “Am I pretty?”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 你係唔係未食lunch？
Romanization: nei5 hai6 m4 hai6 mei6 sik6 lunch
Meaning: “You haven’t had lunch, have you?”
9. Asking About Time
Learn this simple Cantonese sentence pattern, and never be late for a meeting again!
Sentence Pattern: [A] 幾點 [B]？
Romanization: [A] gei2 dim2 [B]
Meaning: When [A] [B (verb)]?
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 我哋幾點食？
Romanization: ngo5 dei6 gei2 dim2 sik6
Meaning: “When should we eat?”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 你幾點收工？
Romanization: nei5 gei2 dim2 sau1 gung1
Meaning: “When will you be off?”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 你幾點瞓覺？
Romanization: nei5 gei2 dim2 fan3 gaau3
Meaning: “When do you sleep?”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 你幾點方便？
Romanization: nei5 gei2 dim2 fong1 bin6
Meaning: “When will be convenient for you?”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 我想見下你呀，你幾點得閒？
Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 gin3 haa5 nei5 aa3, nei5 gei2 dim2 dak1 haan4
Meaning: “I want to see you—when are you free?”
10. Asking About Location or Position
Have you ever been lost in a big city, or gotten turned around in an unfamiliar building? Learning this Cantonese sentence structure will be very helpful for your travels in Hong Kong!
Sentence Pattern: [A] 喺邊度？
Romanization: [A] hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: Where is [A]?
Example sentence 1
Chinese Characters: 廁所喺邊度？
Romanization: ci3 so2 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: “Where is the toilet?”
Example sentence 2
Chinese Characters: 車站喺邊度？
Romanization: ce1 zaam6 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: “Where is the bus station?”
Example sentence 3
Chinese Characters: 餐廳喺邊度？
Romanization: caan1 teng1 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: “Where is the restaurant?”
Example sentence 4
Chinese Characters: 商場喺邊度？
Romanization: soeng1 coeng4 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: “Where is the shopping mall?”
Example sentence 5
Chinese Characters: 我見唔到你，你喺邊度？
Romanization: ngo5 gin3 m4 dou2 nei5, nei5 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: “I can’t see you. Where are you?”
11. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
Did you know any of these Cantonese sentence patterns already, or are they new to you? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to reach out with any questions!
Now that we’ve gone through the ten most useful Cantonese sentence patterns, try to express your thoughts in Cantonese! To better your Cantonese even further, we advise you to invest your time in CantoneseClass101.com!
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Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
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Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
100 Cantonese Verbs Just for You!
Verbs are essential in a language—they describe actions or talk about something that happens.
The more Cantonese verbs you know, the easier it will be for you to master the Cantonese language as a whole. Can’t wait to learn the most common Cantonese verbs? Check out our short guide to verbs in Cantonese below, study our Cantonese verbs list, and let CantoneseClass101.com give you a helping hand!
Table of Contents
- Cantonese Verbs Overview
- Action Verbs
- Helping Verbs
- Linking Verbs
- Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. Cantonese Verbs Overview
Unlike many other languages around the globe, Cantonese verbs by themselves indicate no tense. Generally, the timing of a particular event is expressed through the addition of time-establishing adverbs, though there are some situations when the timing is expressed largely through contextual clues and other indicators reliant on the interpretation of the meaning. By adding particles to the sentence, it can be turned into a question or more clearly demonstrate the mood, attitude, and intention of the speaker.
Note that there are written and spoken Cantonese verbs. We’ve used symbols to help you identify which ones are written (w), spoken (s), or applicable to both (ws).
2. Action Verbs
| # | Meaning | Chinese Characters | Romanization | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | go | 去 (ws) | heoi3 | 直去 zik6 heoi3 go straight ahead |
| 2 | eat | 食 (s) | sik6 | 一家人食早餐。 jat1 gaa1 jan4 sik6 zou2 caan1 The family eats breakfast. |
| 3 | 吃 (w) | hek3 | 一家人吃早餐。 jat1 gaa1 jan4 hek3 zou2 caan1 The family eats breakfast. | |
| 4 | drink | 飲 (s) | jam2 | 飲樽裝飲品 jam2 zeon1 zon1 jam2 ban2 drink from a plastic bottle |
| 5 | 喝 (w) | hot3 | 喝樽裝飲品 hot3 zeon1 zon1 jam2 ban2 drink from a plastic bottle | |
| 6 | walk | 行 (s) | haan4 | 女孩行近攝錄機。 neoi5 haai4 haan4 kan5 sip3 luk6 gei1 The girl walks towards the video camera. |
| 7 | 走 (w) | zau2 | 女孩走近攝錄機。 neoi5 haai4 zau2 gan6 sip3 luk6 gei1 The girl walks towards the video camera. | |
| 8 | sleep | 瞓覺 (s) | fan3 gaau3 | BB喺氈上瞓覺。 bi4 bi1 hai2 zin1 soeng6 fan3 gaau3 The baby sleeps on the blanket. |
| 9 | 睡覺 (w) | seoi6 gaau3 | 嬰兒在氈上睡覺。 jing1 ji4 zoi6 zin1 soeng6 seoi6 gaau3 The baby sleeps on the blanket. | |
| 10 | understand | 明 (s) | ming4 | 我明。 ngo5 ming4 I understand. |
| 11 | 理解 (w) | lei5 gaai2 | 我理解。 ngo5 lei5 gaai2 I understand. | |
| 12 | ask | 問 (ws) | man6 | 大學生問教授問題。 daai6 hok6 sang1 man6 gaau3 sau6 man6 tai4 The university student asks the professor a question. |
| 13 | run | 跑 (ws) | paau2 | 我跑。 ngo5 paau2 I run. |
| 14 | think | 諗 (s) | lam2 | 女人諗答案。 neoi5 jan2 lam2 daap3 on3 The woman thinks about the answer. |
| 15 | 想 (w) | soeng2 | 女人想答案。 neoi5 jan2 soeng2 daap3 on3 The woman thinks about the answer. | |
| 16 | know | 認識 (ws) | jing6 sik1 | 認識自己 jing6 sik1 zi6 gei2 know yourself |
| 17 | help | 幫 (ws) | bong1 | 我幫媽媽洗碗。 ngo5 bong1 maa4 maa1 sai2 wun2 I help my mum wash the dishes. |
| 18 | take | 拎 (s) | ling1 | 啲人拎咗士多啤梨。 di1 jan4 ling1 zo2 si6 do1 be1 lei2 The people took the strawberries. |
| 19 | 拿 (w) | naa4 | 人們拿了士多啤梨。 jan4 mun4 naa4 liu5 si6 do1 be1 lei2 The people took the strawberries. | |
| 20 | use | 用 (ws) | jung6 | 程式設計員用電腦。 cing4 sik1 cit3 gai3 jyun4 jung6 din6 nou5 The programmer uses the computer. |
| 21 | work | 做嘢 (s) | zou6 je5 | 女人喺辦公室做緊嘢。 neoi5 jan2 hai2 baan6 gung1 sat1 zou6 gan2 je5 The woman is working at the office. |
| 22 | 工作 (w) | gung1 zok3 | 女人正在辦公室工作。 neoi5 jan2 zing3 zoi6 baan6 gung1 sat1 gung1 zok3 The woman is working at the office. | |
| 23 | give | 畀 (s) | bei2 | 老豆畀硬幣個仔。 lou5 dau6 bei2 ngaang6 bai6 go3 zai2 The father gives coins to his son. |
| 24 | 給 (w) | kap1 | 父親給兒子硬幣。 fu6 can1 kap1 ji4 zi2 ngaang6 bai6 The father gives coins to his son. | |
| 25 | talk | 講 (s) | gong2 | 你講咩？ nei5 gong2 me1 What are you talking about? |
| 26 | 說 (w) | syut3 | 你說甚麼？ nei5 syut3 sam6 mo1 What are you talking about? | |
| 27 | begin | 開始 (ws) | hoi1 ci2 | 重新開始 cung4 san1 hoi1 ci2 begin again |
| 28 | watch | 睇 (s) | tai2 | 遊客睇日落。 jau4 haak3 tai2 jat6 lok6 The tourists watch the sunset. |
| 29 | 看 (w) | hon3 | 遊客看日落。 jau4 haak3 hon3 jat6 lok6 The tourists watch the sunset. | |
| 30 | leave | 離開 (ws) | lei6 hoi1 | 離開公司 lei6 hoi1 gung1 si1 leave a company |
| 31 | become | 變為 (ws) | bin3 wai4 | 變為蝴蝶 bin3 wai4 wu4 dip2 become a butterfly |
| 32 | hear | 聽 (s)* *same character but different pronunciation | teng1 | 我聽到。 ngo5 teng1 dou2 I heard. |
| 33 | 聽 (w)* *same character but different pronunciation | ting3 | 我聽見。 ngo5 ting3 gin3 I heard. | |
| 34 | wait | 等 (ws) | dang2 | 遊客等火車。 jau4 haak3 dang2 fo2 ce1 The traveler waits for the train. |
| 35 | play | 玩 (s)* *same character but different pronunciation | waan2 | 我要玩。 ngo5 jiu3 waan2 I need to play. |
| 36 | 玩 (w)* *same character but different pronunciation | wun6 | 我要玩。 ngo5 jiu3 wun6 I need to play. | |
| 37 | call | 打 (ws) | daa2 | 打電話 daa2 din6 waa2 make a phone call |
| 38 | remember | 記得 (ws) | gei3 dak1 | 我記得你。 ngo5 gei3 dak1 nei5 I remember you. |
| 39 | believe | 相信 (ws) | soeng1 seon3 | 我相信你。 ngo5 soeng1 seon3 nei5 I believe you. |
| 40 | like | 鍾意 (s) | zung6 ji3 | 我鍾意睇日落。 ngo5 zung1 ji3 tai2 jat6 lok6 I like watching the sunset. |
| 41 | 喜歡 (w) | hei2 fun1 | 我喜歡看日落。 ngo5 hei2 fun1 hon3 jat6 lok6 I like watching the sunset. | |
| 42 | cancel | 取消 (ws) | ceoi2 siu1 | 取消會議 ceoi2 siu1 wui6 ji5 cancel the meeting |
| 43 | arrive | 到 (ws) | dou3 | 到了公園 dou3 liu5 gung1 jyun2 arrive at the park |
| 44 | die | 死 (s) | sei2 | 佢舊年因為意外死咗。 keoi5 gau6 nin2 jan1 wai6 ji3 ngoi6 sei2 zo2 He died in an accident last year. |
| 45 | 去世 (w) | heoi3 sai3 | 他去年在意外中去世。 taa1 heoi3 nin4 zoi6 ji3 ngoi6 zung1 heoi3 sai3 He died in an accident last year. | |
| 46 | rest | 休息 (ws) | jau1 sik1 | 我要休息。 ngo5 jiu3 jau1 sik1 I need to rest. |
| 47 | cook | 煮 (ws) | zyu2 | 廚房煮食 cyu4 fong2 zyu2 sik6 cook in a kitchen |
| 48 | feel | 覺得 (ws) | gok3 dak1 | 男孩覺得難過。 naam4 haai4 gok3 dak1 naan4 gwo3 The boy is feeling sad. |
| 49 | draw | 畫畫 (ws) | waat6 waa2 | 我要畫畫。 ngo5 jiu3 waat6 waa2 I need to draw. |
| 50 | answer | 回答 (ws) | wui4 daap3 | 回答問題 wui4 daap3 man6 tai4 answer questions |
| 51 | receive | 收 (ws) | sau1 | 男人收錢。 naam4 jan2 sau1 cin2 The man receives money. |
| 52 | plan | 計劃 (ws) | gai3 waak6 | 計劃預算 gai3 waak6 jyu6 syun3 plan the budget |
| 53 | explain | 解釋 (ws) | gaai2 sik1 | 教授解釋圖表。 gaau3 sau6 gaai2 sik1 tou4 biu2 The professor explains the diagram. |
| 54 | jump | 跳 (ws) | tiu3 | 能跳過 nang4 tiu3 gwo3 can jump over |
| 55 | teach | 教 (ws) | gaau3 | 老師教英文。 lou5 si1 gaau3 jing1 man2 The teacher taught English. |
| 56 | close | 閂 (s) | saan1 | 大學生閂門。 daai6 hok6 saan1 saan1 mun4 The university student closes the door. |
| 57 | 關 (w) | gwaan1 | 大學生關門。 daai6 hok6 saan1 gwaan1 mun4 The university student closes the door. | |
| 58 | buy | 買 (ws) | maai5 | 情侶買衣服。 cing4 leoi5 maai5 ji1 fuk6 The couple buys clothes. |
| 59 | read | 讀 (ws) | duk6 | 讀雜誌 duk6 zaap6 zi3 read a magazine |
| 60 | wake up | 醒 (s)* *same character but different pronunciation | seng2 | 我醒啦。 ngo5 seng2 laa1 I woke up. |
| 61 | 醒 (w)* *same character but different pronunciation | sing2 | 我醒來。 ngo5 sing2 loi4 I woke up. | |
| 62 | return | 返 (s) | faan2 | 我返屋企。 ngo5 faan2 uk1 kei2 I return home. |
| 63 | 回 (w) | wui4 | 我回家。 ngo5 wui4 gaa1 I return home. | |
| 64 | kick | 踢 (ws) | tek3 | 踢波 tek3 bo1 kick the ball |
| 65 | sell | 賣 (ws) | maai6 | 賣電腦 maai6 din6 nou5 sell the computer |
| 66 | invite | 邀請 (ws) | jiu1 cing2 | 我想邀請你。 ngo5 soeng2 jiu1 cing2 nei5 I want to invite you. |
| 67 | write | 寫 (ws) | se2 | 我寫。 ngo5 se2 I will write. |
| 68 | study | 學 (ws) | hok6 | 我學廣東話。 ngo5 hok6 gwong2 dung1 waa2 I learn Cantonese. |
| 69 | find | 搵 (s) | wan2 | 我搵你。 ngo5 wan2 nei5 I will find you. |
| 70 | 找 (w) | zaau2 | 我找你。 ngo5 zaau2 nei5 I will find you. | |
| 71 | solve | 解決 (ws) | gaai2 kyut3 | 解決問題 gaai2 kyut3 man6 tai4 solve problems |
| 72 | introduce | 介紹 (ws) | gaai3 siu6 | 介紹廣東話 gaai3 siu6 gwong2 dung1 waa2 introduce Cantonese |
| 73 | share | 分享 (ws) | fan1 hoeng2 | 分享意見 fan1 hoeng2 ji3 gin3 share one’s view |
| 74 | sit | 坐 (s)* *same character but different pronunciation | co5 | 我坐。 ngo5 co5 I will sit. |
| 75 | 坐 (w)* *same character but different pronunciation | zo6 | 我坐。 ngo5 zo6 I will sit. | |
| 76 | participate | 參加 (ws) | caam1 gaa1 | 參加比賽 caam1 gaa1 bei2 coi3 participate in a competition |
| 77 | sing | 唱 (ws) | coeng3 | 唱歌 coeng3 go1 sing a song |
| 78 | smile | 笑 (ws) | siu3 | 我笑緊。 ngo5 siu3 gan2 I am smiling. |
| 79 | cry | 喊 (s) | haam3 | 我喊緊。 ngo5 haam3 gan2 I am crying. |
| 80 | 哭 (w) | huk1 | 我在哭。 ngo5 zoi6 huk1 I am crying. | |
| 81 | make | 整 (s) | zing2 | 我整鞋。 ngo5 zing2 haai4 I make shoes. |
| 82 | 製造 (w) | zai3 zou6 | 我製造鞋。 ngo5 zai3 zou6 haai4 I make shoes. | |
| 83 | lie | 呃 (s) | aak1 | 我知道你呃我。 ngo5 zi1 dou3 nei5 aak1 ngo5 I know you lied to me. |
| 84 | 欺騙 (w) | hei1 pin3 | 我知道你欺騙我。 ngo5 zi1 dou3 nei5 hei1 pin3 ngo5 I know you lied to me. | |
| 85 | hate | 憎 (ws) | zang1 | 我憎你。 ngo5 zang1 nei5 I hate you. |
| 86 | afraid | 怕 (ws) | paa3 | 我怕你。 ngo5 paa3 nei5 I am afraid of you. |
3. Helping Verbs
| # | Meaning | Chinese Characters | Romanization | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | have | 有 (ws) | jau5 | 我有三隻狗。 ngo5 jau5 saam1 zek3 gau2 I have three dogs. |
| 88 | not have | 冇 (s) | mou5 | 我冇錢。 ngo5 mou5 cin2 I don’t have money. |
| 89 | 沒有(w) | mut6 jau5 | 我沒有錢。 ngo5 mut6 jau5 cin2 I don’t have money. | |
| 90 | can | 識 (s) | sik1 | 我識彈琴。 ngo5 sik1 taan4 kam4 I can play the piano. |
| 91 | need | 要 (ws) | jiu3 | 我要去夏威夷。 ngo5 jiu3 heoi3 haa6 wai1 ji4 I need to go to Hawaii. |
| 92 | want | 想 (ws) | haan4 | 我想飲咖啡。 ngo5 soeng2 jam2 gaa3 fe1 I want to drink coffee. |
| 93 | do | 做 (ws) | zou6 | 做功課 zou6 gung1 fo3 do homework |
| 94 | should | 應該 (ws) | jing1 goi1 | 我應該問問題。 ngo5 jing1 goi1 man6 man6 tai4 I should ask questions. |
| 95 | willing to | 肯 (s) | hang2 | 我肯講廣東話。 ngo5 hang2 gong2 gwong2 dung1 waa2 I am willing to speak Cantonese. |
| 96 | 願意 (w) | jyun6 ji3 | 我願意講廣東話。 ngo5 jyun6 ji3 gong2 gwong2 dung1 waa2 I am willing to speak Cantonese. |
4. Linking Verbs
| # | Meaning | Chinese Characters | Romanization | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | be | 係 (s) | hai6 | 我係Olivia。 ngo5 hai6 Olivia I am Olivia. |
| 98 | 是 (w) | si6 | 我是Olivia。 ngo5 si6 Olivia I am Olivia. | |
| 99 | not be | 唔係 (s) | m4 hai6 | 我唔係男人。 ngo5 m4 hai6 naam4 jan2 I’m not a guy. |
| 100 | 不是 (w) | bat1 si6 | 我不是男人。 ngo5 bat1 si6 naam4 jan2 I’m not a guy. |
5. Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!
Before you go, let us know in the comments if there’s a verb in Cantonese you still want to know, or if you’re still struggling with anything we covered in this article. We look forward to hearing from you!
Your Ultimate Guide to Cantonese Pronouns
Pronouns can help you better articulate and express your ideas by allowing you to avoid repeating the same nouns over and over again. There are various pronouns in English, such as personal pronouns like “he,” “she,” “it,” “our,” and “theirs”; demonstrative pronouns like “this” and “that”; and indefinite pronouns like “somebody” and “nowhere.”
These pronouns are very useful when it comes to facilitating communication—think how clumsy it would sound to say “Peter really likes Peter’s own voice and Peter’s own appearance,” and “Sharon and Sharon’s sister are looking for Sharon’s mother!”
Have you ever wondered what Cantonese pronouns there are? Are you curious to learn how you can use them to communicate your thoughts more effectively? We’ve prepared a list of Cantonese pronouns and respective examples for you. Read on to find out more!
Table of Contents
- Cantonese Personal Pronouns
- Demonstrative Pronouns
- Interrogative Pronouns
- Indefinite Pronouns
- Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. Cantonese Personal Pronouns
We’ve divided the pronouns into singular (e.g. “I,” “you,” “he,” “she”) and plural (e.g. “we,” “they”) for your easy reference. Note that there isn’t an honorific version of pronouns in Cantonese, and both the words and example phrases below are in spoken form:
1- Singular
1- 你
Meaning: you
Romanization: nei5
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 你鐘意咖啡。
- Romanization: nei5 zung1 ji3 gaa3 fe1
- Meaning: You like coffee.
2- 我
Meaning: I
Romanization: ngo5
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 我想改變世界。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng2 goi2 bin3 sai3 gaai3
- Meaning: I want to change the world.
3- 佢
Meaning: she / he / it
Romanization: keoi5
Note: There are no differences between “he,” “she,” or “it” in Cantonese. You can use 佢 for all circumstances.
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 佢好得意。
- Romanization: keoi5 hou2 dak1 ji3
- Meaning: She / He / It is cute.
4- 你嘅
Meaning: your / yours
Romanization: nei5 ge3
Example 1 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 我好想睇穿你嘅心。
- Romanization: ngo5 hou2 soeng2 tai2 cyun1 nei5 ge3 sam1
- Meaning: I want to see right through your heart.
Example 2 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 係你嘅。
- Romanization: hai6 nei5 ge3
- Meaning: It’s yours.
5- 我嘅
Meaning: my / mine
Romanization: ngo5 ge3
Example 1 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 我嘅天堂
- Romanization: ngo5 ge3 tin1 tong4
- Meaning: My paradise
Example 2 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 你係我嘅。
- Romanization: nei5 hai6 ngo5 ge3
- Meaning: You are mine.
6- 佢嘅
Meaning: her / his / its / hers
Romanization: keoi5 ge3
Example 1 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 佢嘅答覆
- Romanization: keoi5 ge3 daap3 fuk1
- Meaning: His / her reply
Example 2 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 唔係佢嘅。
- Romanization: m4 hai6 keoi5 ge3
- Meaning: It’s not his / hers.
2- Plural
7- 你哋
Meaning: you guys
Romanization: nei5 dei6
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 你哋無做錯到。
- Romanization: nei5 dei6 mou4 zou6 co3 dou3
- Meaning: You guys didn’t do anything wrong.
8- 我哋
Meaning: we / us
Romanization: ngo5 dei6
Example 1 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 我哋係香港人。
- Romanization: ngo5 dei6 hai6 hoeng1 gong2 jan4
- Meaning: We are Hong Kongers.
Example 2 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 佢同我哋講佢係警察。
- Romanization: keoi5 tung4 ngo5 dei6 gong2 keoi5 hai6 ging2 caat3
- Meaning: He told us he is a cop.
9- 佢哋
Meaning: they / them
Romanization: keoi5 dei6
Example 1 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 佢哋係醫生。
- Romanization: keoi5 dei6 hai6 ji1 sang1
- Meaning: They are doctors.
Example 2 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 你其實都好關心佢哋。
- Romanization: nei5 kei4 sat6 dou1 hou2 gwaan1 sam1 keoi5 dei6
- Meaning: Actually, you care about them.
10- 你哋嘅
Meaning: your / yours (plural)
Romanization: nei5 dei6 ge3
Example 1 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 發揮你哋嘅創意。
- Romanization: faat3 fai1 nei5 dei6 ge3 cong3 ji3
- Meaning: Let your imagination go wild.
Example 2 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 呢啲係你哋嘅。
- Romanization: ni1 di1 hai6 nei5 dei6 ge3
- Meaning: These are yours.
11- 我哋嘅
Meaning: our / ours
Romanization: ngo5 dei6 ge3
Example 1 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 我哋嘅字典
- Romanization: ngo5 dei6 ge3 zi6 din2
- Meaning: Our dictionary
Example 2 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 字典係我哋嘅。
- Romanization: zi6 din2 hai6 ngo5 dei6 ge3
- Meaning: The dictionary is ours.
12- 佢哋嘅
Meaning: their / theirs
Romanization: keoi5 dei6 ge3
Example 1 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 佢哋嘅文化
- Romanization: keoi5 dei6 ge3 man4 faa3
- Meaning: Their culture
Example 2 –
- Sentence / Phrase: 可能係佢哋嘅。
- Romanization: ho2 nang4 hai6 keoi5 dei6 ge3
- Meaning: Maybe it’s theirs.
2. Demonstrative Pronouns
1- 呢個
Meaning: this
Romanization: ni1 go3
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 呢個係我嘅電話。
- Romanization: ni1 go3 hai6 ngo5 ge3 din6 waa2
- Meaning: This is my cell.
2- 嗰個
Meaning: that
Romanization: go2 go3
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 嗰個人
- Romanization: go2 go3 jan4
- Meaning: That person
3- 呢啲
Meaning: these
Romanization: ni1 di1
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 呢啲珍珠好韌㗎。
- Romanization: ni1 di1 zan1 zyu1 hou2 jan6 gaa3
- Meaning: These bubbles are very chewy.
4- 嗰啲
Meaning: those
Romanization: go2 di1
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 嗰啲蟬嘅聲音， 我覺得好好聽㗎。
- Romanization: go2 di1 sim4 ge3 sing1 jam1, ngo5 gok3 dak1 hou2 hou2 teng1 gaa3
- Meaning: I love the sound of those cicadas.
5- 呢度
Meaning: here
Romanization: ni1 dou6
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 呢度係香港。
- Romanization: ni1 dou6 hai6 hoeng1 gong2
- Meaning: Hong Kong is here.
6- 嗰度
Meaning: there
Romanization: go2 dou6
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 嗰度好靚。
- Romanization: go2 dou6 hou2 leng3
- Meaning: It’s beautiful there.
3. Interrogative Pronouns
1- 乜嘢
Meaning: what
Romanization: mat1 je5
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 乜嘢係通貨膨脹呀？
- Romanization: mat1 je5 hai6 tung1 fo3 paang4 zoeng3 aa3
- Meaning: What is inflation?
2- 邊個
Meaning: who
Romanization: bin1 go3
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 邊個超級英雄係最強㗎呢？
- Romanization: bin1 go3 ciu1 kap1 jing1 hung4 hai6 zeoi3 koeng4 gaa3 ne1
- Meaning: Who is the strongest superhero?
3- 邊個嘅
Meaning: whose
Romanization: bin1 go3 ge3
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 部電話係邊個嘅？
- Romanization: bou6 din6 waa6 hai6 bin1 go3 ge3
- Meaning: Whose phone is it?
4- 幾時
Meaning: when
Romanization: gei2 si4
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 幾時得閒呀？
- Romanization: gei2 si4 dak1 haan4 aa3
- Meaning: When are you free?
5- 邊度
Meaning: where
Romanization: bin1 dou6
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 邊度有廁所呀？
- Romanization: bin1 dou6 jau5 ci3 so2 aa3
- Meaning: Where is the toilet?
6- 點樣
Meaning: how
Romanization: dim2 joeng2
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 應該點樣準備呢？
- Romanization: jing1 goi1 dim2 joeng2 zeon2 bei6 ne1
- Meaning: How should I prepare?
7- 點解
Meaning: why
Romanization: dim2 gaai2
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 點解想做呢份工？
- Romanization: dim2 gaai2 soeng2 zou6 ni1 fan6 gung1
- Meaning: Why do you want this job?
4. Indefinite Pronouns
As opposed to English, there isn’t a set of pronouns in Cantonese with the fixed prefixes of “every-,” “any-,” or “some-.” As such, we’ve instead included the Cantonese equivalents of common indefinite pronouns below:
1- 所有嘢
Meaning: everything
Romanization: so2 jau5 je5
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 所有嘢都會同老婆交代。
- Romanization: so2 jau5 je5 dou1 wui3 tung4 lou5 po4 gaau1 doi6
- Meaning: I will tell my wife everything.
2- 所有人
Meaning: everybody
Romanization: so2 jau5 jan4
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 所有人都鐘意你。
- Romanization: so2 jau5 jan4 dou1 zung1 ji3 nei5
- Meaning: Everybody likes you.
3- 邊度
Meaning: everywhere
Romanization: bin1 dou6
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 邊度都見到你。
- Romanization: bin1 dou6 dou1 gin3 dou2 nei5
- Meaning: You’re everywhere.
4- 一啲嘢
Meaning: something
Romanization: jat1 di1 je5
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 如果二零一九年要捨棄一啲嘢，我最想捨棄一啲壞習慣。
- Romanization: jyu4 gwo2 ji6 ling4 jat1 gau2 nin4 jiu3 se2 hei3 jat1 di1 je5, ngo5 zeoi3 soeng2 se2 hei3 jat1 di1 waai6 zaap6 gwaan3
- Meaning: If I must let go of something in 2019, I want to let go of my bad habits.
5- 一啲人
Meaning: somebody
Romanization: jat1 di1 jan4
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 係一啲人嘅問題。
- Romanization: hai6 jat1 di1 jan4 ge3 man6 tai4
- Meaning: That’s somebody’s problem.
6- 某啲地方
Meaning: somewhere
Romanization: mau5 di1 dei6 fong1
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 某啲地方一定有所犧牲。
- Romanization: mau5 di1 dei6 fong1 jat1 ding6 jau5 so2 hei1 sang1
- Meaning: There will be sacrifices somewhere.
7- 冇嘢
Meaning: nothing
Romanization: mou5 je5
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 我冇嘢講。
- Romanization: ngo5 mou5 je5 gong2
- Meaning: I have nothing to say.
8- 冇人
Meaning: no one
Romanization: mou5 jan4
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 冇人係完美。
- Romanization: mou5 jan4 hai6 jyun4 mei5
- Meaning: No one is perfect.
9- 冇地方
Meaning: nowhere
Romanization: mou5 dei6 fong1
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 冇地方住
- Romanization: mou5 dei6 fong1 zyu6
- Meaning: I got nowhere to live.
10- 乜嘢
Meaning: anything
Romanization: mat1 je5
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 乜嘢都有可能。
- Romanization: mat1 je5 dou1 jau5 ho2 nang4
- Meaning: Anything is possible.
11- 乜人
Meaning: anyone
Romanization: mat1 jan4
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 乜人都可以申請。
- Romanization: mat1 jan4 dou1 ho2 ji5 san1 cing2
- Meaning: Anyone can apply.
12- 乜嘢地方
Meaning: anywhere
Romanization: mat1 je5 dei6 fong1
Example –
- Sentence / Phrase: 我乜嘢地方都可以瞓得着。
- Romanization: ngo5 mat1 je5 dei6 fong1 dou1 ho2 ji5 fan3 dak1 zoek6
- Meaning: I can fall asleep anywhere.
5. Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
Cantonese pronouns are extremely useful in our daily conversations, and we hope by now you’ve memorized some Cantonese pronouns and are ready to use them. Do check out our articles on Cantonese nouns and Cantonese adjectives as well, and be sure to let us know in the comments if you have any questions!
Want to level up your Cantonese after mastering Cantonese pronouns? With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!
Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
Your Guide to Cantonese Word Order
Word order refers to the order in which words are structured to form a sentence. One example is the “Subject + Verb + Object” pattern in English. One can not speak, read, or write properly without knowing how to put sentences together.
That’s why we’ve decided to introduce you to Cantonese word order and grammar. Let CantoneseClass101.com be your guide to mastering Cantonese!
Table of Contents
- Cantonese Word Order Overview
- Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb, and Object
- Word Order with Prepositional Phrases
- Word Order with Modifiers
- How to Form a Negative Sentence
- Bonus: Translation Exercises
- Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. Cantonese Word Order Overview
Cantonese word order is fairly flexible and may be said to follow the pattern “Subject + Verb + Object,” which is the same basic word order in English. As there are so many ways to structure a sentence in Cantonese, some think that Cantonese is very difficult—especially HongKongers who love to “not follow the grammar” and throw words around.
But don’t worry. In addition to the most common sentence patterns we’ll cover below, you can always learn Cantonese word order by chatting with the locals or reading more examples on CantoneseClass101.com. The key to mastering a language is not being afraid to make mistakes. After all, it’s from mistakes that we learn the most!
Now, let’s look closer at this pattern of word ordering in Cantonese…
2. Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb, and Object
The basic word order for English is subject (S), verb (V), and object (O). If we break down the English sentence “I watch a movie,” we can see that the subject “I” is presented first. This is followed by the verb “watch,” and then finally, the object “movie” is positioned last. We’ve removed the particles here to keep it simple.
“Subject + Verb + Object” is the basic word order for sentences in both English and Cantonese.
Now let’s compare that same sentence, “I watch a movie,” with the Cantonese translation: 我睇戲” (ngo5 tai2 hei3). If we break down the Cantonese sentence, we see that the subject 我 (ngo5), meaning “I,” comes first. Then comes the verb 睇 (tai2), meaning “watch.” And finally, we have the object 戲 (hei3), meaning “movie.”
Below is a summary of the basic word order in Cantonese:
1 – Subject (S) + Verb (V) + Object (O)
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我睇戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 tai2 hei3
- Meaning: “I watch (a) movie.”
We’ll keep using the above example sentence, 我睇戲 (ngo5 tai2 hei3), and expand upon it throughout the article for better illustration.
3. Word Order with Prepositional Phrases
Now we’ll expand the basic Cantonese word order “S + V + O” with prepositional phrases (e.g. “when,” “where,” or in “in what way”).
2 – S + Time (T) + V + O
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我上個禮拜睇戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tai2 hei3
- Meaning: “I watched a movie last week.”
Note 1: Time can either be placed in front of or after the subject, though it’s more common to place time after the subject. For example, 上個禮拜我睇戲 (soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 ngo5 tai2 hei3) also works.
Note 2: Time and duration are placed differently in Cantonese sentences. We’ll cover duration later in this article.
3 – S + T + Manner (M) + V + O
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我上個禮拜同朋友一齊睇戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tung4 pang4 jau5 jat1 cai4 tai2 hei3
- Meaning: “I watched a movie last week with my friends.”
4 – S + T + M + Place (P) + V + O
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我上個禮拜同朋友一齊喺戲院睇戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tung4 pang4 jau5 jat1 cai4 hai2 hei3 jyun2 tai2 hei3
- Meaning: “I watched a movie at the cinema last week with my friends.”
Note: Place can either be placed in front of or after prepositions of manner, though it’s more common to place it after. For example, 我上個禮拜喺戲院同朋友一齊睇戲 (ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 hai2 hei3 jyun2 tung4 pang4 jau5 jat1 cai4 tai2 hei3) also works.
4. Word Order with Modifiers
Modifiers usually modify nouns. In Cantonese, they are often adjectives, determiners (e.g. “this,” “that”), or numerals (e.g. “one,” “two,” “three”).
Now let’s further expand our sentence with modifiers!
5 – S + T + M + P + V + Determiners (De) + O
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我上個禮拜同朋友一齊喺戲院睇咗呢場戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tung4 pang4 jau5 jat1 cai4 hai2 hei3 jyun2 tai2 zo2 ni1 coeng4 hei3
- Meaning: “I watched this movie at the cinema last week with my friends.”
6 – S + T + M + P + V + De + Numerals (N) + O
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我上個禮拜同朋友一齊喺戲院睇咗呢一場戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tung4 pang4 jau5 jat1 cai4 hai2 hei3 jyun2 tai2 zo2 ni1 jat1 coeng4 hei3
- Meaning: “I watched this (one) movie at the cinema last week with my friends.”
Note: We don’t have “these” or the plural of “this” in Cantonese. We use numerals directly to tell how many there are of something.
7 – S + T + M + P + V + De + N + Duration (Du) + O
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我上個禮拜同朋友一齊喺戲院睇咗呢一場兩個鐘頭嘅戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tung4 pang4 jau5 jat1 cai4 hai2 hei3 jyun2 tai2 zo2 ni1 jat1 coeng4 loeng5 go3 zung1 tau4 ge3 hei3
- Meaning: “I watched this two-hour-long movie at the cinema last week with my friends.”
8 – S + T + M + P + V + De + N + Du + Adjective (A) + O
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我上個禮拜同朋友一齊喺戲院睇咗呢一場兩個鐘頭好精彩嘅戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tung4 pang4 jau5 jat1 cai4 hai2 hei3 jyun2 tai2 zo2 ni1 jat1 coeng4 loeng5 go3 zung1 tau4 hou2 zing1 coi2 ge3 hei3
- Meaning: “I watched this stunning two-hour-long movie at the cinema last week with my friends.”
Note: We sometimes break the sentence into two parts if it’s too long. For instance, we could split the sentence above as follows:
- Format: S + T + M + P + V + De + N + A + O, V + Du
- Chinese Characters: 我上個禮拜同朋友一齊喺戲院睇咗呢一場好精彩嘅戲，睇足兩個鐘頭。
- Romanization: ngo5 soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 tung4 pang4 jau5 jat1 cai4 hai2 hei3 jyun2 tai2 zo2 ni1 jat1 coeng4 hou2 zing1 coi2 ge3 hei3, tai2 zuk1 loeng5 go3 zung1 tau4
5. How to Form a Negative Sentence
Forming negative sentences in Cantonese is easy. In most cases, we just need to add the character for “no,” which is 唔 (m4), in front of the verb.
Example Sentence
- Chinese Characters: 我唔睇戲。
- Romanization: ngo5 m4 tai2 hei3
- Meaning: “I don’t watch a movie.”
6. Bonus: Translation Exercises
Try to arrange the words in the correct order!
[Note that: 1. English tenses are ignored in this exercise as there is no such concept as tense in Cantonese. 2. You may find the answers in the last paragraph of this section.]
Ex 1-
Words: 你 (romanization: nei5; meaning: “you”); 蘋果 (romanization: ping4 gwo2; meaning: “apple”); 食 (romanization: sik6; meaning: “eat”)
Sentence: ____________________________
Ex 2-
Words: 你 (romanization: nei5; meaning: “you”); 蘋果 (romanization: ping4 gwo2; meaning: “apple”); 食 (romanization: sik6; meaning: “eat”); 好食嘅 (romanization: hou2 sik6 ge3; meaning: “delicious”)
Sentence: ____________________________
Ex 3-
Words: 你 (romanization: nei5; meaning: “you”); 蘋果 (romanization: ping4 gwo2; meaning: “apple”); 食 (romanization: sik6; meaning: “eat”); 唔 (romanization: m4; meaning: “don’t”)
Sentence: ____________________________
Ex 4-
Words: 錢 (romanization: cin2; meaning: “money”); 借 (romanization: ze3; meaning: “borrow”); 我 (romanization: ngo5; meaning: “I”)
Sentence: ____________________________
Ex 5-
Words: 錢 (romanization: cin2; meaning: “money”); 借 (romanization: ze3; meaning: “borrow”); 我 (romanization: ngo5; meaning: “I”); 噚日 (romanization: cam4 jat6; meaning: “yesterday”)
Sentence: ____________________________
Ex 6-
Words: 錢 (romanization: cin2; meaning: “money”); 借 (romanization: ze3; meaning: “borrow”); 我 (romanization: ngo5; meaning: “I”); 噚日 (romanization: cam4 jat6; meaning: “yesterday”); 問朋友 (romanization: man6 pang4 jau5; meaning: “from a friend”)
Sentence: ____________________________
Ex 7-
Words: 好靚嘅 (romanization: hou2 leng3 ge3; meaning: “beautiful”); 一個 (romanization: jat1 go3; meaning: “one”); 我 (romanization: ngo5; meaning: “I”); 今日 (romanization: gam1 jat6; meaning: “today”); 見到 (romanization: gin3 dou2; meaning: “see”); 手袋 (romanization: sau2 doi2; meaning: “handbag”)
Sentence: ____________________________
Answers
Ex 1- 你食蘋果。
Ex 2- 你食好食嘅蘋果。
Ex 3- 你唔食蘋果。
Ex 4- 我借錢。
Ex 5- 我噚日借錢。/ 噚日我借錢。
Ex 6- 我噚日問朋友借錢。/ 噚日我問朋友借錢。
Ex 7- 我今日見到一個好靚嘅手袋。
7. Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
Cantonese word order isn’t that difficult after all, right? It might sound complicated at first, but if you’re patient and learn one step at a time, you’ll be able to master Cantonese word order before you know it!
Is there anything that’s still not clear to you? Is the sentence structure in Cantonese similar or different from that in your native language? Let us know in the comments!
After learning Cantonese word order, do you want to take your Cantonese to the next level? With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!
Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
The Ultimate Guide to Telling Time in Cantonese
Telling time is part of everyday life, and it’s one of the essential conversation skills you need to learn when studying a new language. Want to learn how to tell time in Cantonese? No worries—we’ve got you covered! But before we start learning about telling time in Cantonese, let’s go over how to ask for the time and other time-related questions.
Table of Contents
- How to Ask for the Time
- How to Tell Time in Cantonese
- Words that Refer to the Time of the Day
- Time Adverbs
- Bonus: Time Proverbs and Sayings
- Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. How to Ask for the Time
1- 而家幾點呀？
Meaning: What time is it?
Romanization: ji4 gaa1 gei2 dim2 aa3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Notes: The phrase 幾點 (gei2 dim2) literally means “How many hours?” In conversational Cantonese, it’s common to add the word 而家 (ji4 gaa1), meaning “now,” at the beginning of the sentence. Note that the actual Cantonese noun for “time” is 時間 (si4 gaan1) and 幾點呀 (gei2 dim2 aa3) actually equates to “when” in English. So if someone invited you to an event and you’d like to know when it’ll be, just ask 幾點呀 (gei2 dim2 aa3).
2. How to Tell Time in Cantonese
The method we use for telling the time in Cantonese is very similar to how a clock works. We use numbers in Cantonese that correspond to the numbers on an hour- and minute-hand clock.
1- Hours
The numbers one to twelve are used primarily when we talk about hours. To say what time it is (in hours), we add the number (1 – 12) to 點 (dim2): 十點 (sap6 dim2).
十 (sap6) is “10” in Cantonese, so 十點 (sap6 dim2) is essentially ten o’clock. The only exception is two o’clock, where we use 兩 (loeng5) instead of 二 (ji6).
- 1 o’clock: 一點 (jat1 dim2)
- 2 o’clock: 兩點 (loeng5 dim2)
- 3 o’clock: 三點 (saam1 dim2)
- 4 o’clock: 四點 (sei3 dim2)
- 5 o’clock: 五點 (ng5 dim2)
- 6 o’clock: 六點 (luk6 dim2)
- 7 o’clock: 七點 (cat1 dim2)
- 8 o’clock: 八點 (baat3 dim2)
- 9 o’clock: 九點 (gau2 dim2)
- 10 o’clock: 十點 (sap6 dim2)
- 11 o’clock: 十一點 (sap6 jat1 dim2)
- 12 o’clock: 十二點 (sap6 ji6 dim2)
Example Sentence: 而家十二點。
Meaning: It’s now 12 o’clock.
Romanization: ji4 gaa1 sap6 ji6 dim2
Format: Spoken Cantonese
2- Minutes
Telling the time in Hong Kong is easy: you’re always running late. The rule of thumb is to say the hour plus 點 (dim2), as explained in the section above, followed by the number of minutes past the hour.
Like the United States, Hong Kong follows a twelve-hour cycle in which the time repeats itself in both the morning and afternoon.
Structure
To express both hours and minutes, say the hour first as mentioned in the section above, then add the number (1 to 59) to 分 (fan1). Note that for 1 through 9, we’ll add “0” in front of the number; for example, 2:02 is 兩點零二分 (loeng5 dim2 ling4 ji6 fan1).
- 1:05: 一點零五分 (jat1 dim2 ling4 ng5 fan1)
- 2:12: 兩點十二分 (loeng5 dim2 sap6 ji6 fan1)
- 3:15: 三點十五分 (saam1 dim2 sap6 ng5 fan1)
- 4:28: 四點二十八分 (sei3 dim2 ji6 sap6 baat3 fan1)
- 5:30: 五點三十分 (ng5 dim2 saam1 sap6 fan1)
- 6:33: 六點三十三分 (luk6 dim2 saam1 sap6 saam1 fan1)
- 7:37: 七點三十七分 (cat1 dim2 saam1 sap6 cat1 fan1)
- 8:44: 八點四十四分 (baat3 dim2 sei3 sap6 sei3 fan1)
- 9:46: 九點四十六分 (gau2 dim2 sei3 sap6 luk6 fan1)
- 10:50: 十點五十分 (sap6 dim2 ng5 sap6 fan1)
- 11:51: 十一點五十一分 (sap6 jat1 dim2 ng5 sap6 jat1 fan1)
- 12:59: 十二點五十九分 (sap6 ji6 dim2 ng5 sap6 gau2 fan1)
Example Sentence: 而家係七點三十七分。
Meaning: It’s now 7:37.
Romanization: ji4 gaa1 hai3 cat1 dim2 saam1 sap6 cat1 fan1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Quarters
There are alternative ways to express quarters (e.g. the :15-, :30-, and :45-minute marks) in Cantonese.
In addition to the structure introduced above, you can also use 三 (saam1) to replace 十五分 (sap6 ng5 fan1) for “:15”; 半 (bun3) to replace 三十分 (saam1 sap6 fan1) for “:30,” and 九 (gau2) to replace 四十五分 (sei3 sap6 ng5 fan1) for “:45.”
- 10:15 : 十點三 (sap6 dim2 saam1)
- 5:30 : 五點半 (ng5 dim2 bun3)
- 6:45 : 六點九 (luk6 dim2 gau2)
Example Sentence: 而家係十點三。
Meaning: It’s now 10:15.
Romanization: ji4 gaa1 hai6 sap6 dim2 saam1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Note that the actual word for “minute” in Cantonese is 分鐘 (fan1 zung1).
3. Words that Refer to the Time of the Day
1- 上晝
Meaning: a.m. / morning
Romanization: soeng6 zau3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example
- Sentence / Phrase: 上晝六點
- Romanization: soeng6 zau3 luk6 dim2
- Meaning: 6 o’clock a.m.
2- 下晝
Meaning: p.m. / afternoon
Romanization: haa6 zau3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 下晝十一點
- Romanization: haa6 zau3 sap6 jat1 dim2
- Meaning: 11 p.m.
3- 晏晝
Meaning: noon
Romanization: aan3 zau3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 晏晝十二點
- Romanization: aan3 zau3 sap6 ji6 dim2
- Meaning: 12:00 noon
4- 早上
Meaning: morning
Romanization: zou2 soeng6
Format: Written Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 我在早上緩步跑。
- Romanization: ngo5 zoi6 zou2 soeng6 wun4 bou6 paau2
- Meaning: I jog in the morning.
5- 晚上
Meaning: evening
Romanization: maan5 soeng6
Format: Written Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 我白天勤力工作，所以晚上放鬆。
- Romanization: ngo5 baak6 tin1 kan4 lik6 gung1 zok3, so2 ji5 maan5 soeng6 fong3 sung1
- Meaning: I work hard during the day, so I relax in the evening.
6- 白天
Meaning: daytime
Romanization: baak6 tin1
Format: Written Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 我白天勤力工作，所以晚上放鬆。
- Romanization: ngo5 baak6 tin1 kan4 lik6 gung1 zok3, so2 ji5 maan5 soeng6 fong3 sung1
- Meaning: I work hard during the day, so I relax in the evening.
7- 夜晚
Meaning: nighttime
Romanization: je6 maan5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 已經到夜晚。
- Romanization: ji5 ging1 dou3 je6 maan5
- Meaning: It’s already nighttime.
4. Time Adverbs
1- 同時
Meaning: meanwhile
Romanization: tung4 si4
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 我同時睇緊電視。
- Romanization: ngo5 tung4 si4 tai2 gan2 din6 si6
- Meaning: Meanwhile, I am watching TV.
2- 而家
Meaning: right now
Romanization: ji4 gaa1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 而家係十二點五十九分。
- Romanization: ji4 gaa1 hai3 sap6 ji6 dim2 ng5 sap6 gau2 fan1
- Meaning: It’s now 12:59.
3- 之前
Meaning: before
Romanization: zi1 cin4
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 之前係我錯。
- Romanization: zi1 cin4 hai6 ngo5 co3
- Meaning: I was wrong (before).
- Note: As there’s no past tense for verbs in Cantonese, we use 之前 (zi1 cin4) to indicate an action that happened in the past.
4- 之後
Meaning: after / later
Romanization: zi1 hau6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 你話之後會搵我。
- Romanization: nei5 waa6 zi1 hau6 wui5 wan2 ngo5
- Meaning: You promised you will find me later.
5- 就嚟
Meaning: soon
Romanization: zau6 lai4
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 我就嚟到。
- Romanization: ngo5 zau6 lai4 dou3
- Meaning: I will be arriving soon.
6- 就快
Meaning: almost
Romanization: zau6 faai3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 就快有十年歷史。
- Romanization: zau6 faai3 jau5 sap6 nin4 lik6 si2
- Meaning: It’s almost ten years old.
7- 夠鐘
Meaning: It’s time
Romanization: gau3 zung1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 夠鐘，停筆。
- Romanization: gau3 zung1, ting4 bat1.
- Meaning: It’s time, pens down.
8- 好耐
Meaning: a long time
Romanization: hou2 noi6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 好耐冇見。
- Romanization: hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3
- Meaning: It’s been a long time since we last met.
9- 一早
Meaning: earlier on
Romanization: jat1 zou2
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 我一早就同你講唔得。
- Romanization: ngo5 jat1 zou2 zau6 tung4 nei5 gong2 m4 dak1
- Meaning: I told you earlier on that it wouldn’t work.
10- 盡快
Meaning: as soon as possible
Romanization: zeon6 faai3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example:
- Sentence / Phrase: 你盡快嚟。
- Romanization: nei5 zeon6 faai3 lai4
- Meaning: Please come as soon as possible.
5. Bonus: Time Proverbs and Sayings
1- 好久不見
Meaning: Long time no see.
Romanization: hou2 gau2 bat1 gin3
Format: Written Cantonese
2- 時間就係金錢
Meaning: Time is money.
Romanization: si4 gaan3 zau6 hai6 gam1 cin4
Format: Spoken Cantonese
3- 光陰如箭
Meaning: Time flies.
Romanization: gwong1 jam1 jyu4 zin3
Format: Spoken / Written Cantonese
4- 寸金難買寸光陰
Meaning: An inch of gold will not buy an inch of time.
Romanization: cyun3 gam1 naan4 maai5 cyun3 gwong1 jam1
Format: Spoken / Written Cantonese
5- 時間可以治療一切
Meaning: Time heals all wounds.
Romanization: si4 gaan3 ho2 ji5 zi6 liu4 jat1 cit3
Format: Spoken / Written Cantonese
Do you want to learn how to tell dates as well? Check out our article on dates here!
6. Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
Learning how to tell time is important—but it’s equally crucial to cherish your time and spend it wisely. If your goal is to better your Cantonese, we do advise you to invest your time in CantoneseClass101.com!
With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!
Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
Before you go, let us know in the comments what time it is where you are, in Cantonese! It’ll be good practice. 😉 We look forward to hearing from you!
Your Ultimate Guide to Cantonese Directions
Being able to ask for and give directions is one of the practical skills you need to learn when studying a new language. And if you’re traveling to Hong Kong, learning Cantonese directions will surely help you better navigate the city!
What are you waiting for? Read on and learn Cantonese directions with us here at CantoneseClass101.com.
Table of Contents
- Directions on the Map
- Directions on the Road
- Landmarks
- Must-know Phrases for Asking for Directions
- Must-know Phrases for Giving Directions in Cantonese
- Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. Directions on the Map
Need to give someone a specific direction in Cantonese? Here are the compass directions for you:
- North: 北 (bak1)
- East: 東 (dung1)
- South: 南 (naam4)
- West: 西 (sai1)
- Northeast: 東北 (dung bak1)
- Southeast: 東南 (dung1 naam4)
- Northwest: 西北 (sai1 bak1)
- Southwest: 西南 (sai1 naam4)
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 你可唔可以喺地圖上指出嚟？
Romanization: nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 hai2 dei6 tou4 soeng6 zi2 ceot1 lei4
Meaning: Can you please point it out on the map?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 向東行
Romanization: hoeng3 dung1 hang4
Meaning: Walk eastward.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 郵局喺呢個鎮嘅北邊
Romanization: jau4 guk2 hai2 ni1 go3 zan3 ge3 bak1 bin1
Meaning: The post office is located in the west side of the town.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 4: 香港喺亞洲嘅東邊
Romanization: hoeng1 gong2 hai2 ngaa3 zau1 ge3 dung1 bin1
Meaning: Hong Kong is in east Asia.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 5: 元朗喺香港嘅西北邊
Romanization: jyun4 long5 hai2 hoeng1 gong2 ge3 sai1 bak1 bin1
Meaning: Yuen Long is situated in the northwest part of Hong Kong.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
2. Directions on the Road
- Up: 上 (soeng5/6)
- Down: 下 (haa6)
- Left: 左 (zo2)
- Right: 右 (jau6)
- Front: 前 (cin4)
- Back: 後 (hau6)
- Downhill: 落山 (lok6 saan1)
- Uphill: 上山 (soeng5 saan1)
- Middle: 中 (zung1)
- Outside: 外面 (ngoi6 min6)
- Opposite: 對面 (deoi3 min6)
- Beside / Next to: 隔籬 (gaak3 lei4)
- In front of: 前面 (cin4 min6)
- Behind: 後面 (hau6 min6)
Example Sentences
Example 1: 應該點去呢度？
Romanization: jing1 goi1 dim2 heoi3 ni1 dou6
Meaning: How should I get there?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example 2: 喺右邊
Romanization: hai2 jau6 bin1
Meaning: On the right side
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example 3: 郵局喺銀行嘅前面
Romanization: jau4 guk2 hai2 ngan4 hong4 ge3 cin4 min6
Meaning: The post office is in front of the bank.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example 4: 皇后像廣場喺地鐵站嘅隔籬
Romanization: wong4 hau6 zoeng6 gwong2 coeng4 hai2 dei6 tit3 zaam6 ge3 gaak3 lei4
Meaning: Statue Square is next to the MTR station.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example 5: 警署喺學校嘅對面
Romanization: ging2 cyu5 hai2 hok6 haau6 ge3 deoi3 min6
Meaning: The police station is opposite the school.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
3. Landmarks
- Train station: 車站 (ce1 zaam6)
- Bank: 銀行 (ngan4 hong4)
- Hospital: 醫院 (ji1 jyun2)
- Garden: 花園 (faan1 jyun2)
- Police station: 警署 (ging2 cyu5)
- School: 學校 (hok6 haau6)
- Metro Station (MTR station in HK): 地鐵站 (dei6 tit3 zaam6)
- Airport: 機場 (gei1 coeng4)
- Hotel: 酒店 (zau2 dim3)
- Traffic light: 紅綠燈 (hung4 luk6 dang1)
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 應該點去車站？
Romanization: jing1 goi1 dim2 heoi3 ce1 zaam6
Meaning: How should I get to the train station?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 醫院喺花園嘅後面
Romanization: ji1 jyun2 hai2 faa1 jyun2 ge3 hau6 min6
Meaning: The hospital is at the back of the garden.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 過咗紅綠燈就會見到
Romanization: gwo3 zo2 hung4 luk6 dang1 zau6 wui5 gin3 dou2
Meaning: You will be able to see it after you have passed the traffic light.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 4: 機場好遠
Romanization: gei1 coeng4 hou2 jyun5
Meaning: The airport is far away.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 5: 酒店喺地鐵站嘅隔籬
Romanization: zau2 dim3 hai2 dei6 tit3 zaam6 ge3 gaak3 lei4
Meaning: The hotel is next to the MTR station.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
4. Must-know Phrases for Asking for Directions
When traveling in business, or just moving around the city, one of the most important skills is finding your way around. The magic word here is 邊度 (bin1 dou6), which essentially means “where.” To show you how to ask for directions in Cantonese, here are a couple of the most common sentence structures.
1 – Where is it?
The sentence structure to ask “where is it” is:
- Sentence: PLACE + 喺邊度？
- Meaning: Where is PLACE?
- Romanization: PLACE + hai2 bin1 dou6
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 會議室喺邊度？
Romanization: wui6 ji5 sat1 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: Where is the meeting room?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 洗手間喺邊度？
Romanization: sai2 sau2 gaan1 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: Where is the washroom?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 登記台喺邊度？
Romanization: dang1 gei3 toi4 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: Where is the registration desk?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
2 – Where can I do something?
We rearrange the Cantonese words for “where is it” to ask for where we can do something. Note that we can also add 請問 (cing2 man6) to the front to be more polite:
- Sentence: 請問喺邊度 + ACTION ？
- Meaning: Excuse me, where can I ACTION?
- Romanization: cing2 man6 hai2 bin1 dou6 + ACTION
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 請問喺邊度泊車？
Romanization: cing2 man6 hai2 bin1 dou6 paak3 ce1
Meaning: Excuse me, where can I park my car?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 請問喺邊度登記？
Romanization: cing2 man6 hai2 bin1 dou6 dang1 gei3
Meaning: Excuse me, where can I register?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
5. Must-know Phrases for Giving Directions in Cantonese
Whether you need to give taxi directions in Cantonese or are trying to help someone out, here are some basic words and phrases you need to know.
1- Turn right / Turn left / Go straight
- Go straight: 直行 (zik6 haang4)
- Turn right: 轉右 (zyun3 jau6)
- Turn left: 轉左 (zyun3 zo2)
When we give directions, we usually use the form of “First……then….” In Cantonese, that’s 首先…….，然後…… (sau2 sin1……jin4 hau6 ..…..).
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 首先直行，然後轉左。
Romanization: sau2 sin1 zik6 haang4, jin4 hau6 zyun3 zo2
Meaning: First go straight, then turn left.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 首先轉左，然後轉右。
Romanization: sau2 sin1 zyun3 zo2, jin4 hau6 zyun3 jau6
Meaning: First turn left, then turn right.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 首先轉左，然後轉右，然後直行，然後再轉左。
Romanization: sau2 sin1 zyun3 zo2, jin4 hau6 zyun3 jau6, jin4 hau6 zik6 haang4, jin4 hau6 zoi3 zyun3 zo2
Meaning: First turn left, then turn right, then go straight, then turn left again.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
2 – It’s on the xth floor
- G/F: 地下 (dei6 haa2)
- 1/F: 一樓 (jat1 lau2)
- 2/F: 二樓 (ji6 lau2)
- 3/F: 三樓 (saam1 lau2)
- 4/F: 四樓 (sei3 lau2)
- 5/F: 五樓 (ng5 lau2)
- 6/F: 六樓 (luk6 lau2)
- 7/F: 七樓 (cat1 lau2)
- 8/F: 八樓 (baat3 lau2)
- 9/F 九樓 (gau2 lau2)
- 10/F: 十樓 (sap6 lau2)
- 11/F: 十一樓 (sap6 jat1 lau2)
- 12/F: 十二樓 (sap6 ji6 lau2)
- 13/F: 十三樓 (sap6 saam1 lau2)
- 14/F: 十四樓 (sap6 sei3 lau2)
- 15/F: 十五樓 (sap6 ng5 lau2)
- 16/F: 十六樓 (sap6 luk6 lau2)
- 17/F: 十七樓 (sap6 cat1 lau2)
- 18/F: 十八樓 (sap6 baat3 lau2)
- 19/F: 十九樓 (sap6 gau2 lau2)
- 20/F: 二十樓 (ji6 sap6 lau2)
- 21/F: 廿一樓 (jaa6 jat1 lau2)
- 22/F: 廿二樓 (jaa6 ji6 lau2)
We can give someone directions directly by saying which floor it’s on. For example, if the location is on the “tenth floor,” simply reply 十樓 (sap6 lau2). Note that in Hong Kong, we also have the “ground floor,” which is 地下 (dei6 haa2).
When we say that something is on a given floor, we use the preposition 喺 (hai2), followed by the floor:
- Sentence: SOMETHING + 喺 + FLOOR
- Meaning: SOMETHING is on FLOOR
- Romanization: SOMETHING + hai2 + FLOOR
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 參展商嘅資料喺二樓。
Romanization: caam1 zin2 soeng1 ge3 zi1 liu2 hai2 ji6 lau2
Meaning: The information for exhibitors is on the second floor.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 洗手間喺十九樓。
Romanization: sai2 sau2 gaan1 hai2 sap6 gau2 lau2
Meaning: The washroom is on the nineteenth floor.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 登記台喺地下。
Romanization: dang1 gei3 toi4 hai2 dei6 haa2
Meaning: The registration desk is on the ground floor.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
6. Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
We hope you enjoyed learning about basic Cantonese directions with us! Let us know in the comments if you have any questions, or if there are any direction words or phrases you still want to know. We look forward to hearing from you.
Now that you’ve learned basic Cantonese direction words and phrases, it’s time to step up your Cantonese and explore this amazing language even more!
With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!
Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
The 20+ Most Useful Compliments in Cantonese
Being a HongKonger myself, I would say that Hong Kong has nurtured many very beautiful citizens—both in mind and body. To praise us (don’t be shy!), here are twenty of the most useful Cantonese compliments that you can use. And the next time you want to compliment a Cantonese girl, you’ll know very well what to say!
Table of Contents
- Compliments on Looks
- Compliments on Work
- Compliments on Skills
- Compliments on Character / Disposition
- How to Make Your Compliments Sound More Sincere
- What to Expect After Giving Compliments
- How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. Compliments on Looks
1 – 你好靚
Meaning: “You’re very beautiful.”
Romanization: nei5 hou2 leng3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When you want to compliment a lady for her appearance, you can say this phrase.
2 – 你好靚仔
Meaning: “You’re very handsome.”
Romanization: nei5 hou2 leng3 zai2
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When you want to praise a man for his appearance, you can say this compliment in Cantonese.
3 – 你笑得好靚
Meaning: “Your smile is beautiful.”
Romanization: nei5 siu3 dak1 hou2 leng3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When a lady is smiling, you can compliment her with this phrase.
4 – 呢件外套好襯你
Meaning: “This jacket looks nice on you.”
Romanization: ni1 gin6 ngoi6 tou3 hou2 can3 nei5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When you want to start a conversation with a lady, but don’t want to be too forward, you can use this phrase.
5 – 件衫好襯你
Meaning: “This shirt looks nice on you.”
Romanization: gin6 saam1 hou2 can3 nei5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When you want to start a conversation with a man, but don’t want to be too forward, you can use this phrase.
Check out this list of Compliments You Always Want to Hear for more Cantonese compliments you can use!
2. Compliments on Work
6 – 你好叻
Meaning: “You’re smart.”
Romanization: nei5 hou2 lek1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone brings up a great idea or solves a problem, you may say this phrase.
7 – 做得好
Meaning: “Great job.”
Romanization: zou6 dak1 hou2
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone completes a task perfectly, you can praise him or her with this phrase.
8 – 你嘅履歷好出色
Meaning: “Your resume is impressive.”
Romanization: nei5 ge3 lei5 lik6 hou2 ceot1 sik1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When your friend sends you her resume and it’s well-written, you can say this phrase.
9 – 你嘅表現超乎我意料之外
Meaning: “You’ve exceeded my expectations.”
Romanization: nei5 ge3 biu2 jin6 ciu1 fu4 ngo5 ji3 liu6 zi1 ngoi6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone manages a difficult project well, you may praise him or her with this phrase.
10 – 你好勁
Meaning: “You’re awesome.”
Romanization: nei5 hou2 ging6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone solves a difficult problem for you, you may reply with this phrase.
Do you need more vocabulary for the workplace or talking about your job? CantoneseClass101 has you covered!
3. Compliments on Skills
11 – 我鍾意你煮嘅嘢食
Meaning: “I love your cooking.”
Romanization: ngo5 zung1 ji3 nei5 zyu2 ge3 je5 sik6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When your special someone cooks for you, you may praise him or her with this phrase.
12 – 你好有品味
Meaning: “You have good taste.”
Romanization: nei5 hou2 jau5 ban2 mei6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone shares a great bottle of wine with you, you may compliment him or her with this phrase.
13 – 你好識得講嘢
Meaning: “You have a way with words.”
Romanization: nei5 hou2 sik1 dak1 gong2 je5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: After someone offers you a compliment in Cantonese, you may praise him or her back with this phrase.
14 – 你係一個好出色嘅廚師
Meaning: “You’re an excellent cook.”
Romanization: nei5 hai6 jat1 go3 hou2 ceot1 sik1 ge3 cyu4 si1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: You may compliment your cook after an excellent dinner using this Cantonese compliment.
15 – 你影相影得好靚
Meaning: “You are good at taking pictures.”
Romanization: nei5 jing2 soeng2 jing2 dak1 hou2 leng3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone shows you photos that they’ve taken, you may say this phrase.
If you need some ideas on what to compliment someone on, CantoneseClass101 has a vocabulary list for hobbies, and another one for common adjectives.
4. Compliments on Character / Disposition
16 – 你嘅內在美仲靚過你嘅外在美
Meaning: “Your inside is even more beautiful than your outside.”
Romanization: nei5 ge3 noi6 zoi6 mei5 zung6 leng3 gwo3 nei5 ge3 ngoi6 zoi6 mei5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone does a good deed, you may praise him or her with this phrase.
17 – 你令我想成為一個更加好嘅人
Meaning: “You make me want to be a better person.”
Romanization: nei5 ling6 ngo5 soeng2 sing4 wai4 jat1 go3 gang3 gaa1 hou2 ge3 jan4
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When you’re madly in love with your special someone, you may say this phrase.
18 – 你係一個好好嘅朋友
Meaning: “You are an awesome friend.”
Romanization: nei5 hai6 jat1 go3 hou2 hou2 ge3 pang4 jau5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When your friend accompanies you when you’re down, you can show your appreciation with this compliment.
19 – 你好搞笑
Meaning: “You have a great sense of humor.”
Romanization: nei5 hou2 gaau2 siu3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone tells a joke that cracks you up, you may praise him or her with this phrase.
20 – 你好好人
Meaning: “You’re really nice.”
Romanization: nei5 hou2 hou2 jan4
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone goes out of his or her way to help you, you may say this to them.
Do you want more vocabulary to enhance your compliments in Cantonese? CantoneseClass101 has a vocabulary list for Cantonese adjectives related to personality, and another to help you talk about feelings!
5. How to Make Your Compliments Sound More Sincere
Giving compliments is easy—but making them sound genuine takes some effort. Make sure you follow these four rules when you give a compliment!
1. Be Authentic
The most straightforward way to make a compliment sound sincere is to actually be sincere. Before you make a comment or throw out a word of praise, be sure that you’re doing so because it’s truly deserved—not just out of politeness. Imagine how you would feel if someone praised you for things you didn’t do! That’s not gonna be a plus, but a minus!
2. Be Specific
Vague and open-ended compliments can sometimes be undesirable and difficult for the recipient to respond to.
Instead of just saying “You’re awesome,” you can back the compliment with concrete examples and specify which action he or she did that deserves such a compliment. For example: “We’ve been solving this issue for an hour already, but it only took you ten minutes. You’re awesome!”
3. Be Relevant
Timing is essential when it comes to giving out compliments. You can compliment your partner for being a great cook after he or she cooks you a meal, but it may sound a bit awkward if you give such a compliment when you two are cycling.
Context can make a whole lot of difference. Do consider time and place before giving your compliment.
4. Be Concise
When complimenting someone, it’s best to keep your compliment short. Why? If you keep dragging your compliment on, you risk attracting unnecessary attention from others, making your recipient uncomfortable. You may make him or her wonder why you would give such a compliment in the first place!
6. What to Expect After Giving Compliments
What can you expect from a HongKonger after complimenting them? Different people may respond differently, but you can usually expect one of three reactions:
- “Thank you.”: Saying 多謝 (do1 ze6), or “thank you” in Cantonese, is the most common response after receiving a compliment.
- “Nah.”: Some people may say 邊度係呢 (bin1 dou6 hai6 ne1) or 唔敢當 (m4 gam2 dong1) to brush off compliments.
- “Run!”: A few may just get uncomfortable and shy away from compliments altogether.
7. How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
What’s your favorite Cantonese compliment? Share with us in the comments, or let us know if there’s another compliment you want to learn!
After mastering Cantonese compliments, it’s time to level up your Cantonese! With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!
Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
Getting Angry in Cantonese without Cantonese Curse Words
Even though Hong Kong might be one of the most polite cities, Hongkongers—like everyone else in the world—do have tempers. Have you ever wondered how to express yourself when you’re angry in Cantonese, especially without needing to use Cantonese swear words? Here at CantoneseClass101.com, we’re introducing the top twenty angry Cantonese phrases. Sit back, “relax,” and learn how to let someone know you’re very angry in Cantonese!
Table of Contents
- Angry Imperatives
- Angry Warnings
- Angry Blames
- Describing How You Feel
- The “Whats”
- Bonus: How to Calm Yourself Down When You’re Angry
- Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. Angry Imperatives
1- 收聲
Meaning: Shut up.
Romanization: sau1 seng1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone is insulting you and you want him or her to stop and shut up, you can yell this phrase.
2- 停呀
Meaning: Stop it.
Romanization: ting4 aa3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone keeps doing something that annoys you, like poking you, you can shout this phrase to ask him or her to stop.
3- 唔好再講
Meaning: Cut it out.
Romanization: m4 hou2 zoi3 gong2
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone keeps telling you unpleasant things, you can say the above phrase to ask him or her to stop talking.
4- 冇所謂
Meaning: Whatever.
Romanization: mou5 so2 wai6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone keeps asking for your opinion, but you know they’ve made up their mind already, you can just reply with the above phrase in a flat tone.
2. Angry Warnings
1- 小心講嘢
Meaning: Watch your tongue.
Romanization: siu2 sam1 gong2 je5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone insults you, you can say this to them.
2- 我唔想同你講嘢
Meaning: I don’t want to talk to you.
Romanization: ngo5 m4 soeng2 tung4 nei5 gong2 je5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone makes unsounded criticism toward you and you don’t even want to make an effort to defend yourself, you can reply with the phrase above.
3- 夠喇
Meaning: That’s enough.
Romanization: gau3 laa3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone keeps making inappropriate jokes, this is one of the best angry Cantonese phrases to let them know it’s time to stop.
4- 唔好搞我
Meaning: Don’t mess with me.
Romanization: m4 hou2 gaau2 ngo5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone is plotting against you, you can warn them to back off with this phrase.
3. Angry Blames
1- 你都唔聽我講嘢
Meaning: You’re not listening to me.
Romanization: nei5 dou1 m4 teng1 ngo5 gong2 je5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone keeps asking you the same question, you can reply with the phrase above.
2- 唔關你事
Meaning: It’s none of your business.
Romanization: m4 gwaan1 nei5 si6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone asks about your personal life, you can reply with this phrase.
3- 你搞咩鬼呀？
Meaning: What the heck are you doing?
Romanization: nei5 gaau2 me1 gwai2 aa3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone gives you a funny look, you can say this angry phrase to him or her.
4- 你以為你係邊個呀？
Meaning: Who do you think you are?
Romanization: nei5 ji5 wai4 nei5 hai6 bin1 go3 aa3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone tells you that he or she can screw your life over, you can ask them this.
5- 你玩我呀？
Meaning: Are you kidding me?
Romanization: nei5 waan2 ngo5 aa4
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone tells you an obvious lie, you can yell at them with this phrase.
4. Describing How You Feel
1- 我好嬲
Meaning: I’m angry.
Romanization: ngo5 hou2 nau1
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: Say this when you want someone to know you’re angry.
2- 有冇搞錯
Meaning: This is so frustrating.
Romanization: jau5 mou5 gaau2 co3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone disappoints you, you can reply with the above phrase.
3- 我頂唔順喇
Meaning: I’m fed up with it.
Romanization: ngo5 ding2 m4 seon6 laa3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When you can no longer stand your boss, you can say this to him or her.
4- 我好憎佢
Meaning: I hate him / her / it.
Romanization: ngo5 hou2 zang1 keoi5
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone asks about your opinion toward a person you hate, you may reply with the above phrase.
5- 我好失望
Meaning: I am very disappointed.
Romanization: ngo5 hou2 sat1 mong6
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When you’re disappointed over a thing or a person, you can use this phrase.
Do check out our article on adjectives and learn more Cantonese words to describe how you feel!
5. The “Whats”
1- 咩話？
Meaning: What?!
Romanization: me1 waa2
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When you hear something that astonishes you unpleasantly, you can say the above phrase, which is equivalent to “What?!”
2- 咁又點呀？
Meaning: So what?
Romanization: gam2 jau6 dim2 aa3
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example Situation: When someone narrow-minded keeps judging you, you can reply with the above phrase.
6. Bonus: How to Calm Yourself Down When You’re Angry
Of course, it’s very understandable that you’ll get cross from time to time—for example, when you’re pissed at your boyfriend or your boss—and that you’ll want to express your emotions and anger instantly. But sometimes, it might be better to calm yourself down instead of releasing all your anger onto the other person, as tension will usually only escalate when you allow your emotions to flow freely. You might end up sabotaging your relationship with the other person instead of actually solving the problem or disagreement you have with them.
So what should you do when you get angry? Consider the following:
- Take a deep breath: Why not take a deep breath before you reply to the other person or make a comment when you’re angry? Taking a deep breath can help you gain sense and give yourself time and space for a second thought—before you do or say things that you might regret.
- Take a walk or run: When you get really pissed, why not take a break and get some fresh air? After you’ve released your anger, you might be able to see things in a different light or at least communicate the issue in a more logical manner.
- Listen to music: Listening to music can help you calm down and prevent your emotions from controlling you. While allowing your emotions to flow freely might sound tempting, you could end up saying or doing things you regret.
- Write it down: Writing down the incident or thing that made you angry will help you unleash your emotions in a more harmless manner. And if you revisit your writings some time later, you might be able to see things from a different perspective.
- Reframe your thinking: While changing your point of view from glass-half-empty to glass-half-full might sound cliche, it’s very effective when it comes to calming yourself. When your boss treats you unfairly, instead of getting angry at her, thank her for giving you a lesson and remind yourself not to be like her when you’re a boss one day.
- Watch a movie: Instead of focusing on the thing or person that makes you angry, you can try distracting yourself by watching movies.
6. Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
While it’s totally normal to get angry from time to time, don’t waste too much of your time or energy on the person or thing that vexes you—cherish your time and spend it wisely! If your goal is to better your Cantonese, we do advise you to invest your time with CantoneseClass101.com!
With CantoneseClass101.com, you can have your daily dose of Cantonese whenever and wherever you want, through mobile apps, desktop software, and our website. We offer entertaining, engaging, and effective lessons on various aspects of the Cantonese language and culture.
Until now, we’ve delivered more than 750,000,000 lessons to thousands of happy students from all around the globe. You can learn Cantonese with over 1060 audio and video lessons delivered by our knowledgeable and energetic hosts, detailed PDF lesson notes, an abundance of vocabulary learning tools, spaced repetition flashcards, and a lively community to discuss the lessons with fellow learners. What are you waiting for? Download our lessons, enjoy our audio and video files, and start learning now!
And keep in mind that if you prefer a one-on-one learning approach and want to further accelerate your Cantonese learning, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program!
Know that your hard work will pay off, and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Cantonese like a native!
Before you go, let us know what you think in the comments. What’s your favorite Cantonese angry phrase from this article? 😉 We look forward to hearing from you!
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