Cantonese Phrases

Need to brush up on some Cantonese language phrases? Learn how to book a hotel room or go shopping here!

Cantonese is spoken by about 66 million people in Guángdōng and Guángxī provinces and Hăinán island in China, and also in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the USA, the Netherlands, Thailand, New Zealand, the Philippines, Coast Rica, Brunei, Mauritius, Canada, Australiaand the UK.

Pronunciation

a: as in 'father'

ai: as in the 'i' in 'find'

au: as the 'ou' in 'bout'

e: as in 'let'

ei: as the 'a' in 'say'

eu: as 'e' + the 'ur' in 'urn'

i: as the 'ee' in 'see'

iu: similar to 'you'

o: as in 'got'

oi: an in the 'oy' in 'boy'

oo: as in 'soon'

ou: as the rod 'owe'

u: as in 'put'

ue: in in 'sue'

ui: as 'oo' + 'ee'

 

j: like the 'dz' in 'thuds'

ch: like the 'ts' in 'tsar'

ng: as in 'sing'

 

Basics

Hello, how are you?: nehih ho ma?

Fine: geih ho

Goodbye: baahih baahih/joih gin

Thanks: M goih

Excuse me: M goih

Do you speak English?: Nehih sik m sik gong ying man a?

I don't understand: Ngoh m mihng

 

Accomodation & Shopping

Do you have any rooms?: Yahuh mo fong a?

How much per night?: Geih doh chin yat mahahn a?

How much is this?: Ni goh geih doh chin a?

That's expensive: ho gwaih

 

Numbers

1: yat

2: yih

3: saahm

4: seih

5: ng

6: luhk

7: chat

8: baaht

9: gauh

10: sahp

To learn Bangla why not consider some Foreign Language Tution?.