[moctriuc]

Cantonese in a nutshell​

Lesson 1: Self-introduction

Main​

Cantonese

A: 你好, 我叫王家衛.

B: 我叫張曼玉. 好高興認識你.

A: 我都係.

English

A: Hi. My name's Wong Kar Wai.

B: My name's Maggie Cheung. Very nice to meet you.

A: I am, too.

Jyutping

A: Nei5 hou2, ngo5 giu3 wong4 gaa1 wai6.

B: Ngo5 giu3 zoeng1 maan6 juk2. Hou2 gou1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5.

A: Ngo5 dou1 hai6.

Vocabulary​

我ngo5 I

我每天早上六時起床.

I wake up every morning at six o'clock a. M.

Ngo5 mui5 tin1 zou2 soeng6 luk6 si4 hei2 cong4.

我每晚九時上床.

I go to bed every night at 9 o'clock PM.

Ngo5 mui5 maan5 gau2 si4 soeng5 cong4.

我是個醫生.

I am a doctor.

Ngo5 si6 go3 ji1 sang1.

我主修美術.

I'm an art major.

Ngo5 zyu2 sau1 mei5 seot6.

我係佢哥哥.

I'm his older brother.

Ngo5 hai6 keoi5 go4 go1.

叫 giu3 to be called, call

我要叫外賣.

I am calling for take-out.

Ngo5 jiu3 giu3 ngoi6 maai6.

我叫Nicole.

I'm (called) Nicole.

Ngo5 giu3 Nicole.

你叫咩名?

What's your name?

Nei5 giu3 me1 meng2?

你 nei5 you (singular)

你喺邊?

Where are you?

Nei5 hai2 bin1?

你去唔去?

Will you go?

Nei5 heoi3 m4 heoi3?

你最近點呀?

How have you been lately?

Nei5 zeoi3 gan6 dim2 aa3?

係hai6 to be

我係學生.

I am a student.

Ngo5 hai6 hok6 saang1.

佢係女仔.

She is a girl.

Keoi5 hai6 neoi5 zai2.

好hou2 very, quite

今日好開心啊!

Today (I'm) very happy!

Gam1 jat6 hou2 hoi1 sam1 aa3!

高興gou1 hing3 happy

佢老公唔高興.

Her husband's not happy.

Keoi5 lou5 gung1 m4 gou1 hing3.

認識jing6 sik1 to know, to recognize

認識你好高興.

Nice meeting you.

Jing6 sik1 nei5 hou2 gou1 hing3.

都dou1 also

我都鍾意佢.

I also like him (/her/it).

Ngo5 dou1 zung1 ji3 keoi5.

Lesson focus​

The Focus of This Lesson is Cantonese Essentials. For Example:

你好, 我叫王家衛. Nei5 hou2, ngo5 giu3 wong4 gaa1 wai6. Hello, I'm Wong Kar-Wai.

Self-Introductions

你好 (nei5 hou2)

Hello in Chinese is made up of two words: 你, meaning you, and 好, meaning good.

叫 (giu3)

The verb 叫 (giu3) means to call. So to introduce yourself, you are simply saying I'm called ______.

Responses

我叫張曼玉. 好高興認識你.

Ngo5 giu3 zoeng1 maan6 juk2. Hou2 gou1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5.

My name's Maggie Cheung. Very nice to meet you.

我都係. Ngo5 dou1 hai6. I am, too.

認識 (jing6 sik1)

The verb 認識 (jing6 sik1) means to know or to be familiar with, however, in the context of the phrase 好高興認識你. (hou2 gou1 hing3 jing6 sik1 nei5), the implication is that of to meet, since this meeting signifies a making of one's acquaintance, and thus, thereafter, they will know each other.

我都係. (ngo5 dou1 hai6)

This phrase literally means I also am. In this dialogue, it is said in response to the statement Nice to meet you, to express a corresponding feeling.

Names in Cantonese

Names in Cantonese are generally made up of either two or three characters. The surname is one character, given first, followed by the given name or names.

For Example:

王家衛 (wong4 kaa1 wai6) Wong Kar-Wai

張曼玉 (zoeng1 maan6 juk6) Maggie Cheung

Sometimes, in more formal settings, a person will simply ask for a person's surname. They will do this by asking:

你貴姓? (nei5 gwai3 sing3) Your surname is?

To which one would respond:

我姓____. (ngo5 sing3 ____) My surname is ____.

Language Expansion

There are other ways to say Nice to meet you in Cantonese. Both of these phrases are acceptable as well:

幸會 (hang6 wui6) I've long heard of you.

久仰 (gau2 joeng5) I've long heard of you.

 

[moctriuc]

Lesson 2: Nationality

Main​

你好. 我叫藍蔚. 我係中國人.

你好. 我叫Matthew. 我係美國人.

English

Hello. I'm Laam Wai. I am Chinese.

Hello. I'm Matthew. I am American.

Jyutping

Nei5 hou2, ngo5 giu3 laam4 wai3. Ngo5 hai6 zung1 gwok3 jan4.

Nei5 hou2, ngo5 giu3 Matthew. Ngo5 hai6 mei5 gwok3 jan4.

Vocabulary​

中國zung1 gwok3 China

北京係中國首都.

Beijing is the capital of China.

Baak1 ging1 hai6 zung1 gwok3 sau2 dou1.

我從中國嚟.

I come from China.

Ngo5 cung4 zung1 gwok3 lei4

美國mei5 gwok3 America

你有冇去過美國?

Have you been to America?

Nei5 jau5 mou5 heoi3 gwo3 mei5 gwok3?

人jan4 people, human

嚟自世界唔同地方嘅人有唔同嘅信仰同習俗.

People from different parts of the world have different beliefs and customs.

Lei4 zi6 sai3 gaai3 m4 tung4 dei6 fong1 ge3 jan4 jau5 m4 tung4 ge3 seon3 joeng5 tung4 zaap6 zuk6.

個電影首映禮有幾多人出席?

How many people attended the movie premiere?

Go3 din6 jing2 sau2 jing2 lai5 jau5 gei2 do1 jan4 ceot1 zik6?

今年好多人結婚.

Many people are getting married this year.

Gam1 nin2 hou2 do1 jan4 git3 fan1.

三百人

Three hundred people

Saam1 baak3 jan4

我哋都係中國人.

We are all Chinese.

Ngo5 dei6 dou1 hai6 zung1 gwok3 jan4.

Lesson focus​

The Focus of This Lesson is Talking about Your Ethnicity

我係美國人. Ngo5 hai6 mei5 gwok3 jan4. I am American.

To express the idea of nationality in Cantonese, simply add the word 人 jan4 (person) to the end of the name of a country.

美國mei5 gwok3 America

美國人mei5 gwok3 jan4 American

In Chinese, some country names consist of a descriptive character or phonetic character followed by the character for country or nation (國, gwok3). This is the case as in our example for America above. Other country names which follow this pattern are:

英國jing1 gwok3 England

德國dak1 gwok3 Germany

法國faat3 gwok3 France

Unfortunately, the names of many other countries are harder to memorize, since they have come into Chinese through a process of transliteration. There is often no rhyme nor reason to generating these names, although many use a subset of particular Chinese characters that are used more or less exclusively in phonetic loan words.

加拿大gaa1 naa4 daai6 Canada

墨西哥mak6 sai1 go1 Mexico

意大利ji3 daai6 lei6 Italy

 

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Lesson 3: How do you say.. In Cantonese?

Main​

* * *廣東話點講?

唔該慢啲.

唔該幫我寫低.

English

How do you say _______ in Cantonese?

Please slow down a bit.

Please write it down for me.

Jyutping

* * * gwong2 dung1 waa2 dim2 gong2?

M4 goi1 maan6 di1.

M4 goi1 bong1 ngo5 se2 dai1.

Vocabulary​

廣東話gwong2 dung1 waa2 Cantonese language

我識講廣東話.

I (know how to) speak Cantonese.

Ngo5 sik1 gong2 gwong2 dung1 waa2.

你識唔識講廣東話?

Do you (know how to) speak Cantonese?

Nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 gong2 gwong2 dung1 waa2?

點講dim2 gong2 how to say

呢個點講?

How do you say this?

Ni1 go3 dim2 gong2?

唔該m4 goi1 excuse me, please, thank you

唔該, 我諗你坐緊呢個位係我嘅.

Excuse me, I think this is my seat you are sitting on.

M4 goi1, ngo5 lam2 nei5 co5 gan2 ni1 go3 wai2 hai6 ngo5 ge3.

唔該細聲啲.

Please lower your volume.

M4 goi1 sai3 seng1 di1.

慢maan6 slow

唔該講慢啲.

Can you speak slowly please?

M4 goi1 gong2 maan6 di1.

行慢啲.

Walk slower.

Haang4 maan6 di1.

啲di1 -er

唔該慢啲講多次.

Can you repeat again, slowly please?

M4 goi1 maan6 di1 gong2 do1 ci3.

幫bong1 to help

告士打普話佢可以幫忙.

Gustavo said he could help.

Gou3 si6 daa2 pou2 waa6 keoi5 ho2 ji3 bong1 mong4.

個店員幫咗我.

The shop assistant helped me.

Go3 dim3 jyun4 bong1 zo2 ngo5.

佢嘅生存意義就係幫人.

Her purpose in life was to help other people.

Keoi5 ge3 sang1 cyun4 ji3 ji6 zau6 hai6 bong1 jan4.

多謝你幫我.

Thank you for helping me.

Do1 ze6 nei5 bong1 ngo5.

唔該幫下我.

Please help me.

M4 goi1 bong1 haa5 ngo5.

寫低se2 dai1 to write down

寫低你個名.

Write down your name.

Se2 dai1 nei5 go3 meng2.

Lesson focus​

The Focus of This Lesson is Cantonese Phrases Useful for Learning Cantonese in the Classroom.

- _ 廣東話點講? __ gwong2 dung1 waa2 dim2 gong2? How do you say __ in Cantonese?

There are several names for Cantonese. For Example:

廣東話gwong2 dung1 waa2

白話baak6 waa2

粵語jyut6 yu5

Or more generally:

中文zung1 man2 Chinese

So instead of saying 廣東話點講 (gwong2 dung1 waa2 dim2 gong2) - How do you say __ in Cantonese, you can say, 中文點講 (zung1 man2 dim2 gong2) - How do you say ___ in Chinese?

Adjectives + 啲

唔該慢啲. (m4 goi1 maan6 di1) - Please slow down a bit.

Adding the term 啲 (di1) after an adjective, literally means a little. We often use it when making a command, it softens the command somewhat. For Example:

慢maan6 slow

慢啲maan6 di1 a little slower

快啲faai3 di1 a little faster

大啲daai6 di1 a little bigger

細啲sai3 di1 a little smaller

唔該帮我 + verb

唔該幫我寫低. (m4 goi1 bong1 ngo5 se2 dai1) - Please write it down for me.

We commonly use this sentence structure in Chinese to ask a favor of someone. 幫 literally means to help. To request someone's assistance or a favor, use this phrase as we heard in the dialogue: 唔該幫我寫低. (m4 goi1 bong1 ngo5 se2 dai1) - Please write it down for me. Literally, Please help me write down.