m4 goi1 ， maai4 daan1 。
m4 goi1 ， 埋 單 。
please ， check the bill
請給我結賬 請給我結賬請給我結賬 請給我結賬。。。 。
How much is this pair of shoes/socks?
ni1 deoi3 haai4 / mat6 gei2 cin2 aa3 ？
ni1 對 鞋 / 襪 幾 錢 aa3 ？
this pair shoes / socks how much
這雙鞋這雙鞋
這雙鞋這雙鞋/襪子多少錢襪子多少錢襪子多少錢襪子多少錢？？？ ？
$185.
jat1 baak3 baat3 sap6 ng5 man1 。
一 百 八 十 五 man1 。
one hundred eight ten five dollar . 一百八十五元
一百八十五元一百八十五元 一百八十五元。。。 。 What colours are available?
jau5 me1 je5 sik1 aa3 ？
有 me1 je5 色 aa3 ？
has/
have what colour
有什麼顏色
有什麼顏色 有什麼顏色 有什麼顏色？？？ ？
This one please.
ni1 gin6 / tiu4 / deoi3 aa1 ， m4 goi1 。
ni1 件 / 條 / 對 aa1 ， m4 goi1 。
this / / pair , please
謝謝你 謝謝你 謝謝你
謝謝你，，，，我要這一件我要這一件我要這一件我要這一件/條條條條/雙雙雙雙。。。。
Introduction to the Cantonese Dialect
How much do these vegetables cost per catty?
di1 coi3 gei2 zin2 gan1 aa3 ？
di1 菜 幾 錢 斤 aa3 ？
these vegetable how much catty
這些菜一斤多少錢 這些菜一斤多少錢這些菜一斤多少錢 這些菜一斤多少錢？？？？
How much are these apples?
ping4 gwo2 dim2 maai6 aa3 ？
蘋 果 點 賣 aa3 ？
apple how much
這些蘋果多少錢 這些蘋果多少錢 這些蘋果多少錢 這些蘋果多少錢？？？？
Would you please tell me where the washroom is?
ceng2 man6 sai2 sau2 gaan1 hai2 bin1 dou6 ？
請 問 洗 手 間 hai2 bin1 dou6 ？
please ask wash hand room at where
請問洗手間在哪兒 請問洗手間在哪兒 請問洗手間在哪兒 請問洗手間在哪兒？？？？
Would you please tell me the way to the MTR station?
ceng2 man6 gong2 tit3 zaam6 dim2 heoi3 ？
請 問 港 鐵 站 dim2 去 ？
please ask MTR station how go
請問港鐵站怎樣去 請問港鐵站怎樣去 請問港鐵站怎樣去 請問港鐵站怎樣去？？？？
Stop please.
m4 goi1 jau5 lok6 。
m4 goi1 有 落 。
please stop (to alight).
請停車 請停車請停車 請停車。。。。
Cantonese is a tonal language. Each syllable has a special tone associated with its meaning. A tone is a distinctive relative pitch in the range of one’s voice. We commonly use six tones in Cantonese. In Jyutping, tone marks appear at the end of the syllables.
Examples: fu1 (夫), fu2 (虎), fu3 (副), fu4 (扶), fu5 (婦), fu6 (父)
Introduction to the Cantonese Dialect
Tones can change the meaning of the words. For example:
sing1 kei4 jat1 sing1 kei4 jat6
星 期 一 星 期 日
Monday Sunday
Here below is a sketch illustrating the relative pitch curves of the six tones in Cantonese:
The 1st tone is the high level tone: it stays more or less at the same high pitch for the syllable duration.
The 2nd tone is the high rising tone: it starts at a fairly low pitch and normally rises above the pitch of the 1st tone.
The 3rd tone is the mid level tone: it is a steady pitch around the middle tone of a person’s voice and is considered as a comfortable tone of one’s voice.
The 4th tone is the low falling tone: it starts from a low pitch and falls to a fairly low pitch.
The 5th tone is the low rising tone: it starts in the same pitch as the 2nd tone but only rises to about the mid level tone.
The 6th tone is a low level tone: it stays at a constant low pitch for its duration of the syllable.
Introduction to the Cantonese Dialect
There are 19 common “Initials (聲母聲母聲母聲母)”:
b (爸) dad dad daddad
p (怕) panic panic panic panic
m (媽) mom mom mom mom
f (花) flower flowerflower
flower
d (打) hit hithit hit
t (他) he he hehe
n (那) that thatthat
that
l (啦) la lala
la (final (final (final (final particle) particle) particle) particle) g (家)
homehome homehome
k (卡) cardcard cardcard
ng (牙) tooth tooth tooth tooth
h (蝦) shrimp shrimp shrimp
shrimp gw (瓜)
melon melonmelon melon
kw (跨) step across step across step across
step across
w (蛙) frog frog frogfrog z (渣)
dregs dregs dregs dregs
c (叉) fork fork
forkfork
s (沙) sand sandsand sand
j (也) also alsoalso also
There are 51 common “Finals (韻母韻母韻母)”: 韻母
i 思 ip 攝 it 洩 ik 識 im 閃 in 先 ing 升
iu 消 yu 書
yut 雪
yun 孫
u 夫
ut 闊 uk 福
un 歡 ung 風 ui 灰
e 些
ek 石
eng 鄭 ei 四
eot 摔
eon 詢
eoi 需 oe 鋸
oek 腳
oeng
疆
o 可
ot 喝 ok 學
on 看 ong 康 oi 開 ou 好
ap 汁 at 侄 ak 則 am 斟 an 珍 ang 增 ai 擠 au 周 aa 渣 aap 集 aat 扎 aak 責 aam 站 aan 讚 aang
掙 aai 齋 aau 嘲