Hong Kong is full of life and (in my opinion) one of the best holiday hotspots. So in this lesson I will be teaching you some helpful phrases in Cantonese you may need whilst on holiday.
幾多錢呀 "gei dor cheen ah?" How much is it?
可唔可以平啲呀? "hor m hor yi peng di ah?" Can it be cheaper? (Mini lesson: Traditionally the word 平 "ping" meaning level or balanced can also be pronounced "peng" informally which would also change the meaning to cheap.)
廁所喺邊呀? "chi sor hai bin ah?" Where's the toilet?
請問港鐵站喺邊呀? "ching man gong teet jam hai bin ah?" Where's the MTR? MTR is the one of the transport systems in Hong Kong. It is very tourist friendly as it announces each stop in both Cantonese and English.
多謝/唔該 "dor jeh/m goi" both mean thanks, although "m goi" can also mean please.
你識唔識講英文? "nei sik m sik gong ying man?" Do you know how to speak English?
對唔住/唔好意思 "dui m ju/m hou yi si" Sorry
呢度附近有冇餐廳? "nei dou fu gan yau mou chaan teng?" Is there a restaurant nearby?
And just in case you run into anything crazy
救命呀 "Gau meng ah!" is HELP!
Hope you have a safe and happy holiday! :)
Tuesday 23 April 2013
Saturday 20 April 2013
Chinese Family Members
Today's topic is Chinese family members.
Chinese people are very clear when calling their family members. For example, typically in western countries both your mom and dad's sisters are both called your aunt. However, the Chinese have different names for family members on each side. To make things more clear I have created a family tree to your dad's side of the family, your mom's side of the family and your immediate family.
As you can see, it can be a bit confusing. In short, the word for aunt on your dad's side is 姑 "goo" whether or not they are older or younger than your dad. However, the word uncle on your dad's side is different depending on whether they are older or younger than your dad. If they are older, they are called 大伯 "daai bak" and if they are younger they are called 叔 "suk".
On your mom's side, the word for aunt is 姨 "yi" whether they are older or younger than your mom. The word for uncle on your mom's side is 舅 "kau".
As well as this, some family members will call their aunt or uncle by their name followed by the word aunt or uncle. For example, 薇姑 "mei goo" is aunt May (not the translation of the month May), or 寶叔 "bou suk" which would be uncle Bou.
As well as the names shown above, some people would use other words to call their family members. For example, your dad's younger sister is called 姑姐 "goo jeh" but can also be called 孻姑 "laai goo" which means youngest aunt.
Sometimes, people would call their aunt or uncle by how old they are in the family. E.g. if your dad is the eldest, his brothers would all be called 叔 "suk". So your dad's younger brother who is second eldest in the family would be 二叔 "yi suk" which is the word two followed by uncle.
I hope this post helped you understand more about Chinese family member names and it hasn't made it more confusing!
(Click on the images for a larger view.)
As you can see, it can be a bit confusing. In short, the word for aunt on your dad's side is 姑 "goo" whether or not they are older or younger than your dad. However, the word uncle on your dad's side is different depending on whether they are older or younger than your dad. If they are older, they are called 大伯 "daai bak" and if they are younger they are called 叔 "suk".
On your mom's side, the word for aunt is 姨 "yi" whether they are older or younger than your mom. The word for uncle on your mom's side is 舅 "kau".
As well as this, some family members will call their aunt or uncle by their name followed by the word aunt or uncle. For example, 薇姑 "mei goo" is aunt May (not the translation of the month May), or 寶叔 "bou suk" which would be uncle Bou.
As well as the names shown above, some people would use other words to call their family members. For example, your dad's younger sister is called 姑姐 "goo jeh" but can also be called 孻姑 "laai goo" which means youngest aunt.
Sometimes, people would call their aunt or uncle by how old they are in the family. E.g. if your dad is the eldest, his brothers would all be called 叔 "suk". So your dad's younger brother who is second eldest in the family would be 二叔 "yi suk" which is the word two followed by uncle.
I hope this post helped you understand more about Chinese family member names and it hasn't made it more confusing!
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