Quick Cantonese Tutorial

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: as in ‘sue’
ui: as ‘oo’ + ‘ee’
j: as the ‘dz’ in ‘thuds’
ch: as 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

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?

Numbers

1: yat
2: yih
3: saahm
4: seih
5: ng
6: luhk
7: chat
8: baaht
9: gauh
10: sahp

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