Common Mistakes in Cantonese Home
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English |
Students' translation |
Suggested translation / just a more common
way |
Literal meanings of the suggested translation /
Remarks |
1 |
See you soon |
hou faai gin |
yat-jahn gin/ jahn-gaan gin / yat-jahn-gaan
gin |
See you a moment later |
2 |
How are you? |
neih hou ma? |
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It's grammatically correct. However, it's not Hong Kong
people's habit to say "How are you?" among
them. |
3 |
I wish you well / Nice to meet you |
neih hou? |
neih hou |
I wish you well (If someone say "neih hou" to you, you should
say "neih hou" to him or her.) |
4 |
See you tomorrow |
ting-yaht joi-gin |
ting-yaht gin |
|
5 |
I prefer to go at 7:00 |
- |
ngoh seung chat-dim heui / ngoh gok-dak chat-dim heui
hou-di |
Cantonese doesn¡¦t the the word ¡§prefer¡¨
exactly |
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I prefer this one more |
- |
ngoh jung-yi ni-go do-di |
|
6 |
How about 10:00? |
|
sahp-dim dak m`h dak a? |
Can we make it at 10:00? (If you don't know if the addressee
can make it or not, people say "... dak m`h dak
a?") |
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How about 10:00? |
|
sahp-dim hou m`h hou a? |
Is it good to make it at 10:00? (If you know the addressee can
make it, you just don't know he/she prefers it or not, people say "... hou
m`h hou a?") |
7 |
my wife |
ngoh ge taai-taai |
ngoh taai-taai |
poessive marker ¡§ge¡¨ is usually skipped for kindship or closed
objects. |
|
my company |
ngoh ge gung-si |
ngoh gung-si |
|
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your friend |
neih ge pahng-yauh |
neih pahng-yauh |
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your home |
neih ge uk-kei |
neih uk-kei |
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8 |
I can't go |
ngoh m`h dak heui |
ngoh m`h heui dak / ngoh m`h ho-yih heui / ngoh heui m`h
dou |
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9 |
It's fine |
hou la |
hou a (HL) |
¡§a¡¨ in HL shows pleased ending here |
10 |
I forgot my book |
ngoh m`h gei-dak ngoh bun syu |
ngoh m`h gei-dak daai syu |
I forgot to bring my book |
11 |
I like coke |
ngoh jung-yi ho-lohk |
ngoh jung-yi yam ho-lohk |
I like ¡§drinking¡¨ coke |
12 |
I gave her money |
ngoh bei neih chin |
ngoh bei chin keuih |
I gave money to her |
13 |
She is very short (opposite of tall) |
|
keuih hou ai |
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The pen is very short (opposite of
long) |
|
ji-bat hou dyun |
|
14 |
He is very thin (opposite of fat) |
|
keuih hou sau |
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The book is very thin (opposite of
thick) |
|
bun-syu hou bohk |
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15 |
I could do 4:00-5:00 |
|
ngoh ho-yih ngh-dim dou luhk-dim hoi-wui (eg. arrange a
meeting) |
Usually, Cantonese would mention the exact action instead of
just using "do". |
16 |
A: Will you come? |
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B: Depends |
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eg. tai hah dak m`h dak haahn |
take a look if I'm free |
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A: Are taxi drivers in Hong Kong nice? |
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B: Depends |
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yat-di-di / yat-di hou, yat-di
m`h-hou |
some are nice, some are not nice |
17 |
late (being late) |
|
chih-dou |
[late +
arrive] |
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late (in the day time) |
|
aan |
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late (at night) |
|
yeh |
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late (happen late) |
|
chih |
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18 |
later (in the future) |
|
chih-di |
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later, later on (in the past) |
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hauh-mei / hau-mei / hauh-meih |
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later (in the day time) |
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aan-di |
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later (at night) |
|
yeh-di |
|
19 |
after that |
|
ji-hauh |
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after 3:00 |
ji-hauh saam-dim |
saam-dim ji-hauh |
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before 3:00 |
ji-chihn saam-dim |
saam-dim ji-chihn |
|
20 |
I have no free time |
ngoh mouh dak-haahn |
ngoh m`h dak-haahn / ngoh mouh
sih-gaan |
I'm not free / I have no time |
21 |
fatter |
|
feih-di |
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fatter than |
|
feih-gwo |
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He is taller than me |
keuih gou di ngoh |
keuih gou-gwo ngoh |
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He is taller |
|
keuih gou-di |
|
22 |
I don't know if he will come |
ngoh m`h ji yuh-gwo keuih laih |
ngoh m`h ji keuih laih m`h laih |
if: yuh-gwo is only used in conditional sentences. eg. If it
rains, he won¡¦t come. |
23 |
Do you have any pens? / Do you have a
pen? |
neih yauh mouh ji bat a? |
neih yauh mouh bat a? |
non specific referring, don¡¦t need any measure words
(classifiers) |
24 |
He asked (requested) me to do homework |
keuih mahn ngoh jouh gung-fo |
keuih giu ngoh jouh gung-fo |
|
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He asked me a question |
|
keuih mahn ngoh yat-go mahn-taih |
|
25 |
everyweek |
muih laih-baai |
muih-go laih-baai |
MW ¡§go¡¨ is needed |
|
everyday |
- |
muih yaht |
exception, ¡§day¡¨ doesn¡¦t take MW |
26 |
very very tall |
hou hou gou |
hou gou hou gou (less common) / jan-haih hou gou (more
common) |
Catonese don¡¦t say ¡§very very¡¨ as English speakers
do. [very tall very tall / really very
tall] |
|
tasty |
hou sihk |
tasty |
[good + eat] |
|
very tasty |
hou hou sihk |
very tasty |
[very + good + eat] / [very +
tasty] |
27 |
one and a half hour |
yat bun go jung / yat bun jung |
yat go bun jung (less common) / go bun jung (more
common) |
|
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two and a half hour |
|
leuhng go bun jung |
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28 |
I fogot many thangs |
ngoh m`h-gei-dak hou-do yeh |
hou-do yeh ngoh dou m`h-gei-dak |
just more common |
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I fogot all things |
ngoh m`h-gei-dak so-yauh yeh |
so-yauh yeh ngoh dou m`h-gei-dak / ngoh m`h-gei-dak saai
so-yauh yeh |
just more common |
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30 |
this aeroplane |
go ga fei-gei |
ni ga fei-gei |
when there¡¦s only one in front of them, they say ¡§this¡¨ but not
¡§that¡¨, no matter how far is it. |
|
this mountain |
go joh saan |
ni joh saan |
|
31 |
man |
naahm yan |
naahm jai |
for adults, they usually say ¡§boy¡¨ or ¡§girl/lady¡¨ instead of
¡§man¡¨ or ¡§woman¡¨. |
|
woman |
neuih yan |
neuih jai |
¡§man¡¨ or ¡§woman¡¨ are used for really middle aged
people. |
32 |
He is very sick |
keuih hou behng |
keuih behng dak hou gan-giu |
[he sick + PS + very serious] If a Hong Kong person say ¡§keuih hou behng¡¨ means ¡§He¡¦s very
crazy¡¨ |
33 |
He is very old (for age) |
|
keuih hou louh |
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These clothes are very old (opposite of
new) |
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ni-di saam hou gauh |
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Remarks:
Symbols |
Stand for |
Remarks |
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HL |
high level |
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HR |
high rising |
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ML |
middle level |
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LF |
low falling |
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LR |
low rising |
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LL |
low level |
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[
] |
literal meanings |
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PS |
structure particles |
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