Learn essential Cantonese vocabulary for nationalities
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
| 日本人 (jat6 bun2 jan4) |
| 泰國人 (taai3 gwok3 jan4) |
| 台灣人 (toi4 waan1 jan4) |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn Cantonese vocabulary for nationalities. |
| Before we start, did you know the Hong Kong flag has its own distinct meaning and symbolism? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| 英國人 (jing1 gwok3 jan4) |
| "British" |
| 英國人 (jing1 gwok3 jan4) |
| 英國人 (jing1 gwok3 jan4) |
| When we talk about British nationality, did you know Hong Kong actually had a lot of British cultural influence before 1997? Things like afternoon tea, British English accents, and even those classic red post boxes on the streets!Back then, you could see red post boxes all over Hong Kong—just like in the UK! But after 1997, they were all painted green. Kind of like a rebranding! |
| Susan asks Lina about a mutual friend. |
| Susan: 佢嘅國籍係咩？ (keoi5 ge3 gwok3 zik6 hai6 me1?) |
| Lina: 佢係英國人。 (keoi5 hai6 jing1 gwok3 jan4.) |
| 日本人 (jat6 bun2 jan4) |
| "Japanese" |
| 日本人 (jat6 bun2 jan4) |
| 日本人 (jat6 bun2 jan4) |
| (Bow slightly.) "Japanese people are so polite! They bow all the time!" (Bow a few times dramatically.) |
| "And they always say 'Excuse me!' even when they don’t need to!" (Pretend to apologize unnecessarily.) |
| Lina asks Susan about a guest at an event. |
| Lina: 嗰邊嗰位女士係邊個？ (go2 bin1 go2 wai2 neoi5 si6 hai6 bin1 go3?) |
| Susan: 佢係我朋友。佢係日本人。 (keoi5 hai6 ngo5 pang4 jau5. keoi5 hai6 jat6 bun2 jan4.) |
| 泰國人 (taai3 gwok3 jan4) |
| "Thai" |
| 泰國人 (taai3 gwok3 jan4) |
| 泰國人 (taai3 gwok3 jan4) |
| Thai food is super popular in Hong Kong! We even have a whole ‘Little Thailand’ in Kowloon City, where you can find authentic Thai restaurants and grocery stores. And if you’re lucky, you might even catch a Songkran festival celebration here! |
| Tom asks Oscar about his friend. |
| Tom: 你個朋友係邊度人？ (nei5 go3 pang4 jau5 hai6 bin1 dou6 jan4?) |
| Oscar: 佢係泰國人。 (keoi5 hai6 taai3 gwok3 jan4.) |
| 台灣人 (toi4 waan1 jan4) |
| "Taiwanese" |
| 台灣人 (toi4 waan1 jan4) |
| 台灣人 (toi4 waan1 jan4) |
| Bubble tea! That’s probably the first thing you think of when it comes to Taiwan, right? But Hong Kong and Taiwan actually share a lot of cultural similarities, like our love for night markets and street food! |
| Lina and Taylor discuss Taiwanese nationality. |
| Lina: 你有冇見過台灣人？ (nei5 jau5 mou5 gin3 gwo3 toi4 waan1 jan4?) |
| Taylor: 有，我老師係台灣人。 (jau5, ngo5 lou5 si1 hai6 toi4 waan1 jan4.) |
| 菲律賓人 (fei1 leot6 ban1 jan4) |
| "Filipino" |
| 菲律賓人 (fei1 leot6 ban1 jan4) |
| 菲律賓人 (fei1 leot6 ban1 jan4) |
| Filipinos are a big part of Hong Kong’s community! Every Sunday, you’ll see thousands of them gathering in Central, enjoying their day off together. And fun fact—if you hear someone singing karaoke really well, there’s a good chance they’re Filipino! |
| Steve needs the translation help |
| Steve: 我搵緊一個菲律賓人講者。 (ngo5 wan2 gan2 jat1 go3 fei1 leot6 ban1 jan4 gong2 ze2.) |
| Jack: 佢係菲律賓人。 (keoi5 hai6 fei1 leot6 ban1 jan4.) |
| 中國人 (zung1 gwok3 jan4) |
| "Chinese" |
| 中國人 (zung1 gwok3 jan4) |
| 中國人 (zung1 gwok3 jan4) |
| Hong Kong is part of China, but culturally, we have our own unique mix of traditions. For example, we celebrate Chinese festivals like Mid-Autumn, but we also have our own slang and way of doing things that’s different from the mainland! |
| Oscar asks Tom about a mutual friend. |
| Oscar: 佢嚟自邊度？ (keoi5 lei4 zi6 bin1 dou6?) |
| Tom: 佢係中國人。 (keoi5 hai6 zung1 gwok3 jan4.) |
| 印度人 (jan3 dou6 jan4) |
| "Indian" |
| 印度人 (jan3 dou6 jan4) |
| 印度人 (jan3 dou6 jan4) |
| Did you know Hong Kong has a long history with the Indian community? We have Hindu temples, a historic Sikh temple in Wan Chai, and some of the best Indian restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui! And if you ever get invited to a Sikh temple, don’t forget—they serve free food to everyone! |
| Steve and Jack chat about a new restaurant. |
| Steve: 你有冇試過新嘅餐廳？ (nei5 jau5 mou5 si3 gwo3 san1 ge3 caan1 teng1?) |
| Jack: 有，啲食物好正。嗰度廚師係印度人。 (jau5, di1 sik6 mat6 hou2 zeng3. go2 dou6 cyu4 si1 hai6 jan3 dou6 jan4.) |
| 越南人 (jyut6 naam4 jan4) |
| "Vietnamese" |
| 越南人 (jyut6 naam4 jan4) |
| 越南人 (jyut6 naam4 jan4) |
| "Hong Kong actually has a Vietnamese community that started growing after the Vietnam War. And now you can find amazing pho and banh mi in Sham Shui Po! Some restaurants even feel just like being in Vietnam! |
| Lina asks Susan about her friend. |
| Lina: 你朋友嚟自邊度？ (nei5 pang4 jau5 lei4 zi6 bin1 dou6?) |
| Susan: 佢係越南人。 (keoi5 hai6 jyut6 naam4 jan4.) |
| 俄羅斯人 (ngo4 lo4 si1 jan4) |
| "Russian" |
| 俄羅斯人 (ngo4 lo4 si1 jan4) |
| 俄羅斯人 (ngo4 lo4 si1 jan4) |
| You might not expect it, but Hong Kong had a Russian community for over a century! Some Russian families fled to Hong Kong after the Russian Revolution, and they even opened bakeries—so if you see Russian bread in a Hong Kong bakery, now you know why! |
| Susan asks Tom about his friend. |
| Susan: 你朋友嚟自邊度？ (nei5 pang4 jau5 lei4 zi6 bin1 dou6?) |
| Tom: 我相信佢係俄羅斯人！ (ngo5 soeng1 seon3 keoi5 hai6 ngo4 lo4 si1 jan4!) |
| 巴基斯坦人 (baa1 gei1 si1 taan2 jan4) |
| "Pakistani" |
| 巴基斯坦人 (baa1 gei1 si1 taan2 jan4) |
| 巴基斯坦人 (baa1 gei1 si1 taan2 jan4) |
| Hong Kong has a long history with the Pakistani community, especially in areas like Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei. If you ever want to try authentic Pakistani food, there are amazing restaurants here that have been serving for generations! |
| Tom asks Oscar about his teacher. |
| Tom: 你嘅烏爾都文老師嚟自邊度？ (nei5 ge3 wu1 ji5 dou1 man2 lou5 si1 lei4 zi6 bin1 dou6?) |
| Oscar: 我嘅烏爾都文老師係巴基斯坦人。 (ngo5 ge3 wu1 ji5 dou1 man2 lou5 si1 hai6 baa1 gei1 si1 taan2 jan4.) |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in Cantonese. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "British"? |
| 英國人 (jing1 gwok3 jan4) |
| 英國人 (jing1 gwok3 jan4) |
| And how to say "Japanese"? |
| 日本人 (jat6 bun2 jan4) |
| 日本人 (jat6 bun2 jan4) |
| How about "Thai"? |
| 泰國人 (taai3 gwok3 jan4) |
| 泰國人 (taai3 gwok3 jan4) |
| Do you remember how to say "Taiwanese"? |
| 台灣人 (toi4 waan1 jan4) |
| 台灣人 (toi4 waan1 jan4) |
| And how to say "Filipino"? |
| 菲律賓人 (fei1 leot6 ban1 jan4) |
| 菲律賓人 (fei1 leot6 ban1 jan4) |
| Let's try "Chinese"! |
| 中國人 (zung1 gwok3 jan4) |
| 中國人 (zung1 gwok3 jan4) |
| What about "Indian"? |
| 印度人 (jan3 dou6 jan4) |
| 印度人 (jan3 dou6 jan4) |
| Now, let's see if you remember how to say "Vietnamese"! |
| 越南人 (jyut6 naam4 jan4) |
| 越南人 (jyut6 naam4 jan4) |
| Another one! What about "Russian"? |
| 俄羅斯人 (ngo4 lo4 si1 jan4) |
| 俄羅斯人 (ngo4 lo4 si1 jan4) |
| And finally, do you remember how to say "Pakistani"? |
| 巴基斯坦人 (baa1 gei1 si1 taan2 jan4) |
| 巴基斯坦人 (baa1 gei1 si1 taan2 jan4) |
| Did you know the Hong Kong flag has its own distinct meaning and symbolism? |
| Hong Kong’s flag shows a white, five-petal Bauhinia flower on a red background. It symbolizes the mix of cultures and the region’s special identity within China. The red stands for the link to China, and the white flower represents harmony and prosperity in the city. |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
Comments
Hide