Useful Cantonese Phrases
While Cantonese might not be as relevant as Mandarin it is still one of the leading dialects in China and currently dominates the Chinese communities that immigrated to the United States. So odds are that you’ll find some use to the list of phrases we'll be covering here.
(Hello [general])
Joigin/bāaibaai
(see you later/goodbye)
(Thank you [for the service], excuse me [passing through])
(Sorry)
(Where are you from?)
(I am a [place you live] person.)
(Where is the toilet?)
[location]...haih bindouh a?
(Where is… [location]?)
(I don’t know how to speak Cantonese.)
(I know how to speak a little.)
(Does anyone know how to speak English?)
(How much is this?)
(Please call a taxi for me.)
m̀hgoi bòng ngóh
(Please help me)
Ngóh m̀hji.
(I don’t know.)
Specific Word Definitions:
ngóh - I, me
Néih - You
m̀hdāk - Can’t
Néih dākm̀hdāk - Can you do this?
Yìngmán - English language
Yàhn - person
góng - speak
bīndouh - where
síusíu - a little
Jung-yi - like
hóu - good (also used to add emphasis)
bòng - help
m̀h - prefix, adverb that turns something into a negative.