Phrases |
'Useful' phrases |
Idioms |
Tongue twisters |
Language-related proverbs
A collection of useful phrases in Cantonese in traditional characters and Yale Romanization. Click on the English phrases to see them in many other languages.
| English | 廣東話/粵語 (Cantonese) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | 歡迎 (fòonying) |
| Hello | 你好 (néih hóu) 喂 (wài) - on phone |
| How are you? I'm fine, thanks. And you? |
你好嗎? (néih hóu ma), 點呀? (dím a) |
| 我幾好，你呢？
(ngóh géi hóu, néih ne) 好好 (hóu hóu), 幾好 (géi hóu) |
|
| Long time no see | 好耐冇見 (hóunoih móuhgin) |
| What's your name? My name is ... |
你叫作乜野名呀？
(néih giujouh mātyéh méng a) 你點稱呼呀？ (néih dím chìngfù a) |
| 我叫作 ... (ngóh giujouh ...) | |
| Where are you from? I'm from ... |
你係邊國人呀？ (néih haih bīn gwokyàhn a) |
| 我係 ... 人 (ngóh haih ... yàhn) | |
| Pleased to meet you | 好開心認識你 (hóu hòisàm yahnsīk néih) 好開心見到你 (hóu hòisàm gindou néih) |
| Good morning | 早晨 (jousan) |
| Good afternoon | 午安 (ńgh ón) |
| Good evening | 晚安 (máahn ón) 晚上好 (máahnseuhng hóu) |
| Good night | 早抖 (jóutáu) |
| Goodbye | 再見 (joigin) 拜拜 (baaibaai) |
| Good luck | 祝你好運 (jūk néih hóuwahn) |
| Bon voyage | 一路順風 (yāt louh seuhn fùng) 一路平安 (yāt louh pìhng ngòn) |
| Excuse me | 請問 (chéngmahn) 唔該 (m̀gòi) 失陪 (sàtpùih) |
| How much is this? | 呢個幾多錢呀? (Nīgo géidō chín a?) |
| Sorry | 對唔住 (deuim̀jyuh) |
| Thank you Response (You're welcome) |
多謝 (dòjeh) - for a gift, 唔該 (m̀gòi) - for a service |
| 唔駛 (m̀sái),
唔駛客氣 (m̀sái haakhei) 冇問題 (móuh mahntàih), 不用客氣 (bàtjuhng haakhei) |
|
| Where's the toilet? | 廁所喺邊度呀？
chisó hai bīndouh a? 洗手間喺邊度呀？ sáisáugāan hai bīndouh a? |
| Would you like to dance with me? | 你要唔要同我跳舞？ (néih yium̀yiu tùhng ngóh tiumóuh) |
| I love you | 我愛你 (ngóh oi néih) |
| Get well soon | 祝您盡快恢復健康
(jūk néih cheuhnfaai fuìfuhk gihnhòng) 快啲好番呀 (faaidi hóufàan a) |
| Do you speak English? | 你講英文嗎? (néih góng yìngmán ma?) |
| Does anyone speak English? | 有人講英文嗎? (yáuh yàhn góng yìngmán ma?) |
| Do you speak Cantonese? Yes, a little |
你識唔識講廣東話呀 (neih sìkm̀sìk góng gwóngdùngwá a) |
| 我識講小小呀 (ngóh sìk góng síusíu a) | |
| I don't speak Cantonese | 我唔識講廣東話 (ngóh m̀sìk góng gwóngdùngwá) |
| Please speak more slowly | 你可唔可以講慢小小呀?
(néih hóm̀hóyíh góng maahn síusíu a) 請你講慢啲 (chéng néih góng maahn di) |
| Please say that again | 唔該你講多一次吖?
(m̀gòi néih góng dō yātchi a) 唔該再講 (m̀gòi joi góng) |
| Sorry, I didn't get that | 對唔住,我唔明白 (deuim̀jyuh, ngóh m̀ mìhngbaahk) |
| What did you say? | 你講乜嘢話? (néih góng mātyéh wá?) |
| Please write it down | 唔該你寫低吖?
(m̀gòi néih sédài a?) 唔該筆記 (m̀gòi bātgei) |
| Can you translate it for me? | 你可唔可以幫我翻譯呀? (néih hóm̀hóyíh bòng ngóh fáanyihk a?) |
| What does this mean? | 呢個點解呀? (nīgo dímgáai a?) |
| How do you say ... in Cantonese? | ... 喺廣東話點講呀？ (... hái gwóngdùngwá dím góng a) |
| How do you pronounce that? | 呢個點讀呀? (nīgo dím duhk a?) |
| I understand | 我明白嘞 (ngóh mìhngbaahk la) |
| I don't understand | 我唔明白 (ngóh m̀ mìhngbaahk) |
| Do you understand? | 你明唔明呀? (néih mìhngm̀mìhng a) |
| There's a problem in the room | 間房有啲問題 (gàanfóng yáuhdī mahntáih) |
| There's no hot water | 冇熱水 (móuh yihtséui) |
| The tap/faucet is leaking | 水龍頭漏水 (séuilùhngtàuh lauhséui) |
| The drain is blocked | 坑渠塞咗呀 (hàangkèuih sàkjó a) |
| The air conditioner is too noisy | 冷氣好嘈呀 (láahnghei hóu chòuh a) |
| I would like to move to another room | 我想換過間房 (ngóh séung wuhngwo gàanfóng) |
| When should I vacate the room? | 我幾時要退房呀? (ngóh géisí yiu teuifóng a) |
| I'd like to check out | 唔該, 埋單 (m̀gòi màaihdàan) |
| I'd check out on this date | 我個日會走 (ngóh goyaht wúih jáu) |
| Please call a taxi for me | 唔該幫我叫架的士吖 (m̀gòi bòng ngóh giuga dīksí a) |
| May I see the bill please? | 我可唔可以睇吓賬單呀? (ngóh hóm̀hóyíh táiháa jeungdàan a) |
| How much is the total bill? | 帳單總數喺幾多錢呀? (jeungdàan jóngsou hái géidō chín a) |
| Can I have an itemised bill? | 唔該,比張詳細賬單我吖? (m̀gòi, béi jèung chēuhngsái jeungdàan ngóh a) |
| I think there's a mistake on this bill | 我覺得呢賬單有一度錯咗 (ngóh gokdāk nī jeungdàan yáuh yātdouh cho jó) |
| Are you free for lunch? | 我地一齊食晏晝飯好嘛? (ngóhdeih yātchàih sihk ngaanjaufaahn hóu ma?) |
| Are you free this evening? | 你今晚得唔得閒呀? (néih gàmmāan dākm̀dākhàahn a?) |
| Can you suggest a place for lunch? | 可以介紹個食晏嘅地方嗎? (hóyíh gaaisiuh go sihk ngaan ge deihfòng ma?) |
| Can you suggest a place for dinner? | 可以介紹個食晚飯嘅地方嗎? (hóyíh gaaisiuh go sihk máahnfaahn ge deihfòng ma?) |
| I'll meet you there | 我地喺個度見 (ngóhdeih hái godouh gin) |
| I'll meet you then | 你地到時見 (néihdeih dousih gin) |
| Can I have your phone number? | 可以講你個電話號碼我知嗎? (hóyíh góng néih go dihnwahouhmá ngóh jí ma) |
| Can I have your address? | 可以講你個地址我知嗎? (hóyíh góng néih go deihjí ngóh jí ma) |
| This is my phone number | 呢個喺我嘅電話號碼 (nīgo hái ngóh ge dihnwahouhmá) |
| This is my address | 呢個喺我嘅地址 (nīgo hái ngóh ge deihjí) |
| Is there a restaurant near here? | 附近有冇餐館呀? (fuhgahn yáuhmóuh chāangún a?) |
| I'd like to reserve a table | 我想訂一張枱 (ngóh séung dehng yātjueng tói) |
| We have a reservation | 我地訂咗張枱嘠嘞 (ngóhdeih dehng jó jueng tói gehng la) |
| Do you have an English menu? | 你地有冇英文餐牌呀? (néihdeih yáuhmóuh yìngmán chāanpáai a) |
| Can I see the wine list? | 我可唔可以睇吓個酒單呀? (ngóh hóm̀hóyíh táiháa go jáudàan a) |
| I am a vegetarian | 我食齋 (ngóh sihk jāai) |
| Bon appetit | 食飯! (sihk faahn) - eat, 食慾! (sihk juhk) |
| Cheers/Good health! | 敬酒 (ging jáu), 飲杯 (yám buì) 飲勝 (yám sing) 幹杯 (gám buì) |
| Help! Fire! Stop! |
救命呀! (gau mehng a!) 火燭呀! (fóh júk a!) 停低! (tìhng dài!) |
| Leave me alone! | 唔好搞我! (m̀hóu gáau ngóh!) |
| Call the police! | 叫警察! (giùh gíngchaàht) 報警! (bou gíng) |
| Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year |
聖誕節同新年快樂
(singdaanjit tùnhg sànnìhn faailohk) 恭喜發財 (gung héi fáat chōi) - used at Chinese New Year |
| Happy Easter | 復活節快樂 (fuhkwuhtjit faailohk) |
| Happy Birthday | 生日快樂 (sàangyaht faailohk) |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | 我隻氣墊船裝滿晒鱔 (ngóh jek heijínsyùhn jòngmúhn saaisíhn) |
| One language is never enough | 一種語言永遠不夠 (yātjúng yuéhyình wíhngyyúhn bātgau) |
Cantonese audio files and translations provided by Shirley Lam (沯靟埈) and HNHSoft
Download the audio files (Zip format, 2MB)
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, please contact me.
Chinese Translation
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Other collections of Cantonese phrases
http://linguanaut.com/english_cantonese
http://www.ypexpat.com/en/html/se/se_td_cd.asp
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Copyright 1998- Simon Ager