Learn to read Cantonese
A short, active path into reading Cantonese: see how a character is built out of a meaning half and a sound half, learn the sixty characters a fable runs on, meet the grammar words 係 唔 嘅 咗 that mark written Cantonese out from Mandarin, and read a short story before opening your first book.
Reading
3 sectionsFirst reading with help: two animals on the road
- Read the Cantonese line first, then use the Jyutping and the English.
- All but one character taught; the phrase carrying it comes first.
- The target lines have no spaces, exactly as a book prints them; the Jyutping is spaced so you can match syllable to character.
- When a line will not come apart: find the little words first — 嘅, 咗, 喺, 係 — and the nouns fall out around them.
One phrase before you start
| Phrase | What it does |
|---|---|
| 一齊jat1 cai4 | together, all at once — it sits before the verb |
有一日，喺路上
從前，喺山上有一隻細貓。
cung4 cin4, hai2 saan1 soeng6 jau5 jat1 zek3 sai3 maau1.
Once upon a time, there was a small cat on the hill.
佢嘅名係阿福。
keoi5 ge3 meng2 hai6 aa3 fuk1.
Her name was Ah Fuk.
有一日，阿福喺路上見到一隻狗。
jau5 jat1 jat6, aa3 fuk1 hai2 lou6 soeng6 gin3 dou2 jat1 zek3 gau2.
One day, Ah Fuk caught sight of a dog on the road.
嗰隻狗話：「你好！你係邊個呀？」
go2 zek3 gau2 waa6: nei5 hou2! nei5 hai6 bin1 go3 aa3?
The dog said: “Hello! Who are you?”
「我係阿福。我嘅屋企喺山上。」
ngo5 hai6 aa3 fuk1. ngo5 ge3 uk1 kei2 hai2 saan1 soeng6.
“I am Ah Fuk. My home is on the hill.”
「我係阿黑。你去邊度呀？」
ngo5 hai6 aa3 hak1. nei5 heoi3 bin1 dou6 aa3?
“I am Ah Hak. Where are you going?”
阿福話：「我去搵水飲。」
aa3 fuk1 waa6: ngo5 heoi3 wan2 seoi2 jam2.
Ah Fuk said: “I am going to look for water to drink.”
「我知邊度有水。同我嚟啦。」
ngo5 zi1 bin1 dou6 jau5 seoi2. tung4 ngo5 lai4 laa1.
“I know where there is water. Come with me.”
佢哋兩個一齊行。
keoi5 dei6 loeng5 go3 jat1 cai4 haang4.
The two of them walked together.
阿福好開心。
aa3 fuk1 hou2 hoi1 sam1.
Ah Fuk was very happy.
Four delayed recalls before the new story
These were first met several sections ago. Try to recall them before revealing.
- 喺
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喺hai2“at, in, on” — and its near-twin 係hai6“is” differs by one tone and one small piece. - 見到
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見到gin3 dou2“catch sight of” - 屋企
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屋企uk1 kei2“home” - 我 and 餓 share one syllable. What tells them apart aloud?
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Only the tone: 我ngo5“I” rises, 餓ngo6“hungry” stays low and level.