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?

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

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?")

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

your friend

neih ge pahng-yauh

neih pahng-yauh

your home

neih ge uk-kei

neih uk-kei

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

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

The pen is very short (opposite of long)

ji-bat hou dyun

14

He is very thin (opposite of fat)

keuih hou sau

The book is very thin (opposite of thick)

bun-syu hou bohk

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?

B: Depends

eg. tai hah dak m`h dak haahn

take a look if I'm free

A: Are taxi drivers in Hong Kong nice?

B: Depends

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]

late (in the day time)

aan

late (at night)

yeh

late (happen late)

chih

18

later (in the future)

chih-di

later, later on (in the past)

hauh-mei / hau-mei / hauh-meih

later (in the day time)

aan-di

later (at night)

yeh-di

19

after that

ji-hauh

after 3:00

ji-hauh saam-dim

saam-dim ji-hauh

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

fatter than

feih-gwo

He is taller than me

keuih gou di ngoh

keuih gou-gwo ngoh

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

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)

two and a half hour

leuhng go bun jung

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

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

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

These clothes are very old (opposite of new)

ni-di saam hou gauh

Symbols

Stand for

Remarks

HL

high level

HR

high rising

ML

middle level

LF

low falling

LR

low rising

LL

low level

 [   ]

literal meanings 

 PS

structure particles