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Written Chinese → Spoken Cantonese

291 common mappings between standard written Chinese and everyday spoken Cantonese

Showing 291 of 291 entries

Common Particles

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
是係hai6to be / is
的嘅ge3possessive particle
了咗zo2perfective aspect
在喺hai2at / in / is located
和同tung4and / with
把將zoeng1object marker (BA)
被畀bei2passive marker
得到dou2resultative complement
著住zyu6continuous aspect
過過gwo3experiential aspect
們哋dei6plural marker

Pronouns

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
我我ngo5I / me
你你nei5you
他佢keoi5he / him
她佢keoi5she / her
它佢keoi5it
我們我哋ngo5 dei6we / us
你們你哋nei5 dei6you (plural)
他們佢哋keoi5 dei6they / them
自己自己zi6 gei2oneself
這個呢個ni1 go3this one
那個嗰個go2 go3that one
大家大家daai6 gaa1everyone

Question Words

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
什麼乜嘢mat1 je5what
哪裡邊度bin1 dou6where
為什麼點解dim2 gaai2why
怎麼點樣dim2 joeng2how
誰邊個bin1 go3who
哪個邊個bin1 go3which one
多少幾多gei2 do1how many / how much
什麼時候幾時gei2 si4when
怎麼樣點呀dim2 aa3how about it / how is it
是不是係咪hai6 mai6is it or not

Verbs — Daily Actions

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
吃食sik6to eat
喝飲jam2to drink
看睇tai2to look / watch
說講gong2to say / speak
聽聽teng1 / ting1to listen
做做zou6to do / make
買買maai5to buy
賣賣maai6to sell
穿著zoek3to wear
睡瞓fan3to sleep
洗洗sai2to wash
寫寫se2to write
讀讀duk6to read
用用jung6to use
拿攞lo2to take / get
放擺baai2to put / place
煮煮zyu2to cook
等等dang2to wait
找搵wan2to look for / find
玩玩waan2to play

Verbs — Motion & Direction

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
去去heoi3to go
來嚟lai4to come
回返faan1to return
走行haang4to walk
跑跑paau2to run
上上soeng5to go up
下落lok6to go down
進入jap6to enter
出出ceot1to exit / go out
坐坐co5to sit
站企kei5to stand
開開hoi1to open
關閂saan1to close (door)

Verbs — Communication

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
說講gong2to say / speak
告訴話…知waa6...zi1to tell
問問man6to ask
回答答daap3to answer
叫叫giu3to call / shout
聊天傾偈king1 gai2to chat
謝謝多謝 / 唔該do1 ze6 / m4 goi1thank you
請請ceng2to invite / please

Verbs — Mental & Perception

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
知道知道zi1 dou6to know (a fact)
認識識sik1to know (a person) / to be able to
想諗nam2to think
覺得覺得gok3 dak1to feel / think that
喜歡鍾意zung1 ji3to like
愛愛oi3to love
怕驚geng1to be afraid
記得記得gei3 dak1to remember
忘記唔記得m4 gei3 dak1to forget
明白明ming4to understand
希望希望hei1 mong6to hope
相信信seon3to believe

Verbs — Auxiliary / Modal

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
會會wui5will / can
能可以ho2 ji5can / able to
要要jiu3to want / need to
想想soeng2to want to
應該應該jing1 goi1should
必須一定要jat1 ding6 jiu3must
可能可能ho2 nang4maybe / possibly
敢夠膽gau3 daam2to dare

Adjectives — Descriptions

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
大大daai6big
小細sai3small
多多do1many / much
少少siu2few / little
好好hou2good
壞衰seoi1bad
快快faai3fast
慢慢maan6slow
新新san1new
舊舊gau6old (things)
長長coeng4long
短短dyun2short (length)
高高gou1tall / high
矮矮ai2short (height)
漂亮靚leng3beautiful / pretty
醜醜cau2ugly
便宜平peng4cheap
貴貴gwai3expensive
乾淨乾淨gon1 zeng6clean
髒污糟wu1 zou1dirty
重重cung5heavy
輕輕heng1light (weight)

Adjectives — Feelings

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
高興開心hoi1 sam1happy
傷心傷心soeng1 sam1sad
生氣嬲nau1angry
害怕驚geng1scared
累攰gui6tired
餓肚餓tou5 ngo6hungry
渴口渴hau2 hot3thirsty
忙忙mong4busy
無聊悶mun6bored / boring
緊張緊張gan2 zoeng1nervous
舒服舒服syu1 fuk6comfortable

Adverbs

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
很好hou2very
也都dou1also / too
還仲zung6still / yet
已經已經ji5 ging1already
才先sin1only then
就就zau6then / at once
再再zoi3again
最最zeoi3most / -est
真真係zan1 hai6really / truly
常常成日seng4 jat6often / always
馬上即刻zik1 hak1immediately
一起一齊jat1 cai4together
剛才頭先tau4 sin1just now
差不多差唔多caa1 m4 do1almost / about the same
特別特別dak6 bit6especially
慢慢慢慢maan6 maan2slowly

Negation

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
不唔m4not (general negation)
沒有冇mou5not have / have not
別唔好m4 hou2don't (imperative)
不是唔係m4 hai6is not
沒關係冇關係mou5 gwaan1 hai6it doesn't matter
不用唔使m4 sai2no need

Time Words

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
今天今日gam1 jat6today
明天聽日ting1 jat6tomorrow
昨天尋日cam4 jat6yesterday
現在而家ji4 gaa1now
以前以前ji5 cin4before / in the past
以後之後zi1 hau6after / in the future
早上朝早ziu1 zou2morning
晚上夜晚je6 maan5evening / night
下午下晝haa6 zau3afternoon
上午上晝soeng6 zau3morning (formal)
上個月上個月soeng6 go3 jyut6last month
下個星期下個禮拜haa6 go3 lai5 baai3next week
有時候有陣時jau5 zan6 si4sometimes
每天每日mui5 jat6every day

Measure Words

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
個個go3general measure word
隻隻zek3MW for animals / one of a pair
本本bun2MW for books
杯杯bui1MW for cups
張張zoeng1MW for flat objects
件件gin6MW for clothes / matters
塊嚿gau6MW for lumps / pieces
條條tiu4MW for long things
瓶樽zeon1MW for bottles
碗碗wun2MW for bowls
雙對deoi3MW for pairs
次次ci3MW for times / occurrences

Conjunctions

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
因為因為jan1 wai6because
所以所以so2 ji5therefore
但是但係daan6 hai6but / however
如果如果jyu4 gwo2if
雖然雖然seoi1 jin4although
而且而且ji4 ce2moreover
還是定係ding6 hai6or (in questions)
或者或者waak6 ze2or / perhaps
不但…而且唔單止…而且m4 daan1 zi2...ji4 ce2not only…but also

Prepositions

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
給畀bei2to give / to
跟同tung4with / and
從由jau4from
到到dou3to / arrive at
對對deoi3towards / to
比比bei2compared to
離離lei4away from
除了除咗ceoi4 zo2except / besides

Sentence-Final Particles

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
嗎呀aa3question particle
吧啦laa1suggestion / softener
呢呢ne1and you? / what about?
啊㗎gaa3assertion / emphasis
—喎wo3surprise / realization
—噃bo3emphasis / reminder
—嘞laak3change of state (done now)
—囉lo1obviously / what else
—咩me1rhetorical question / really?
—嘛maa3isn't it obvious
—吖aa1friendly / casual

Nouns — People

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
人人jan4person
男人男人naam4 jan2man
女人女人neoi5 jan2woman
孩子細路sai3 lou6child / kid
朋友朋友pang4 jau5friend
老師老師lou5 si1teacher
學生學生hok6 saang1student
醫生醫生ji1 sang1doctor
爸爸老豆 / 爸爸lou5 dau6 / baa4 baa1father / dad
媽媽老母 / 媽咪lou5 mou5 / maa4 mi4mother / mum
哥哥阿哥aa3 go1older brother
姐姐家姐gaa1 ze2older sister
弟弟細佬sai3 lou2younger brother
妹妹細妹sai3 mui2younger sister
老公老公lou5 gung1husband
老婆老婆lou5 po4wife

Nouns — Places

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
家屋企uk1 kei2home
學校學校hok6 haau6school
公司公司gung1 si1company / office
商店舖頭pou3 tau4shop
飯店餐廳caan1 teng1restaurant
醫院醫院ji1 jyun2hospital
街街gaai1street
廁所廁所ci3 so2bathroom / toilet
車站車站ce1 zaam6bus/train stop
機場機場gei1 coeng4airport

Nouns — Food & Drink

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
飯飯faan6rice / meal
麵麵min6noodles
菜餸sung3dishes / food (to go with rice)
肉肉juk6meat
水果生果saang1 gwo2fruit
水水seoi2water
茶茶caa4tea
咖啡咖啡gaa3 fe1coffee
酒酒zau2alcohol / wine
點心點心dim2 sam1dim sum
早餐早餐zou2 caan1breakfast
午餐午餐 / 晏晝ng5 caan1 / aan3 zau3lunch
晚餐晚飯maan5 faan6dinner

Nouns — Body

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
頭頭tau4head
眼睛眼ngaan5eye
嘴口 / 嘴hau2 / zeoi2mouth
耳朵耳仔ji5 zai2ear
手手sau2hand
腳腳goek3foot / leg
肚子肚tou5stomach / belly
臉面min6face
鼻子鼻bei6nose

Nouns — Daily Objects

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
東西嘢je5thing / stuff
錢錢cin2money
手機電話din6 waa2phone
車車ce1car / vehicle
書書syu1book
衣服衫saam1clothes
褲子褲fu3pants
鞋鞋haai4shoes
門門mun4door
桌子枱toi2table
椅子凳dang3chair / stool
鑰匙鎖匙so2 si4key
傘遮ze1umbrella
袋子袋doi2bag

Numbers & Money

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
一一jat1one
二 / 兩二 / 兩ji6 / loeng5two
三三saam1three
四四sei3four
五五ng5five
六六luk6six
七七cat1seven
八八baat3eight
九九gau2nine
十十sap6ten
百百baak3hundred
千千cin1thousand
塊（元）蚊man1dollar (HKD colloquial)
毛（角）毫hou4dime / 10 cents

Greetings & Expressions

Written ChineseSpoken CantoneseJyutpingMeaning
你好你好nei5 hou2hello
早安早晨zou2 san4good morning
再見拜拜baai1 baai3goodbye
對不起對唔住deoi3 m4 zyu6sorry
沒問題冇問題mou5 man6 tai4no problem
不好意思唔好意思m4 hou2 ji3 si1excuse me (apology)
恭喜恭喜gung1 hei2congratulations
加油加油gaa1 jau4keep it up / go for it
吃飯了嗎食咗飯未呀sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6 aa3have you eaten? (greeting)
慢走慢行maan6 haang4take care (when leaving)
不客氣唔使客氣m4 sai2 haak3 hei3you're welcome
算了算啦syun3 laa1forget it / let it go