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Grammar

The Focus of this Lesson is Self Introduction in Cantonese

Topic 1: How to Introduce yourself to a single person.

Sentence from the lesson:

'你好，我係Olivia。好高興認識你。'
Nei5 hou2，ngo5 hai6 Olivia. Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5.
"Hi, I'm Olivia. Nice to meet you."


  2. You say 你好 Nei5 hou2，我係 ngo5 hai6... "Hi, I'm..."
  3. Add your name: 你好，我係Olivia。Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6 Olivia.
  4. Then say 好高興認識你。Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5. "Nice to meet you."





Topic 2: How to Introduce yourself to more than one person.


Sentence from the lesson:

'你好，我係Olivia。好高興認識你哋。'
Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6 Olivia. Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5 dei6.
"Hi, I'm Olivia. Nice to meet you all."

  1. 你好，我係Olivia。 has not been changed; 你好，我係 stands in both cases for "Hi, I am."
  2. Pay attention to the ending: we went from 你  Nei5 to 你哋  Nei5 dei6. What is changing is the word for "you." In Cantonese, the word "you" is different if it is singular or plural. 你 is singular, and 你哋 is plural.

Language Tip!

When you introduce yourself, it's a good habit to shake hands in Hong Kong. Always introduce yourself to the higher-ranking persons before those of lower rank. In most cases, the person of the highest rank will be the most elder person. If you use the correct sentence with Cantonese speakers, they're definitely going to be impressed!

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Lesson Transcript

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Welcome to CantoneseClass101.com’s saam1 fan1 zung1 gwong2 dung1 waa2. The fastest, easiest, and the most fun way to learn Cantonese.
Nei5 hou2，ngo5 hai6 Olivia. Hou2 go1 hing3 tung4 daai6 gaa1 gin3 min6. Hi, I'm Olivia. Nice to meet you.
In this series, we’re going to learn basic Cantonese expressions. It’s super easy and it only takes three minutes!
In this lesson, you’re going to learn how to introduce yourself in Cantonese. There are a few different ways to say it, depending on how many people you are talking to.
Let’s first see how Cantonese speakers introduce themselves to a single person.
Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6 Olivia. Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5.
Hi, I’m Olivia. Nice to meet you.
[slowly] Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6 Olivia. Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5.
Start by saying: Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6... then, say your name. Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6 Olivia。Finally, say Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5.
Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6 Olivia. Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5.
Good job! Now let’s see the same sentence when talking to more than one person.
Nei5 hou2，ngo5 hai6 Olivia。Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5 dei6.
Hi, I’m Olivia. Nice to meet you all.
[slowly] Nei5 hou2，ngo5 hai6 Olivia。Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5 dei6.
So, what has changed from the previous introduction?
Let’s take a closer look at these together.
Nei5 hou2, Ngo5 hai6 Olivia。 has not been changed; Nei5 hou2, Ngo5 hai6 stands in both cases for "Hi, I am."
Finally, pay attention to the ending: we went from Nei5 to Nei5 dei6. What is changing the word for “you.” In Cantonese, the word “you” is different if it is singular or plural. Nei5 is singular, and Nei5 dei6 is plural.
One more time: To introduce yourself to one person in Cantonese is Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6 Olivia. Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5.
To introduce yourself to more than one person is Nei5 hou2, ngo5 hai6 Olivia. Hou2 go1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5 dei6.
Now it’s time for Olivia’s Insights.
When you introduce yourself, it's a good habit to shake hands in Hong Kong. Always introduce yourself to the higher-ranking persons before those of lower rank. In most cases, the person of the highest rank will be the most elder person.
If you use the correct sentence with Cantonese speakers, they’re definitely going to be impressed!
Do you know how we say “thank you” in Cantonese? You’ll learn how to say this and many other words in the next lesson. Haa6 ci3 gin3! See you then!
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