Lessons for English speakers
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.
13 core sections · ≈ 34 min + 3 optional lookups · ≈ 43 min with everything
13
Verb reference: shapes this path did not need
Optional lookup · ≈ 2 min
What you'll learn
- Open this when a verb shape blocks a line; neither closing reading needs any of it.
- 可以ho2 ji5 is “may”, 識sik1 is “know how to”, 會wui5 is “will”.
- “Must” is 要jiu3, which also means “want” — the sentence decides which.
- Comparing uses 過gwo3 after the describing word: “big-pass you”.
- A verb doubled with 吓haa5 means doing it briefly: have a quick look.
Neither closing reading uses anything in this section. Open it when a shape you cannot place blocks a line, and leave it shut otherwise. These are things to recognise later, not homework now.
Can, will, must, want
| Cantonese | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 可以ho2 ji5 | may, is allowed to | 你可以嚟nei5 ho2 ji5 lai4“you may come” |
| 識sik1 | knows how to | 佢識游水keoi5 sik1 jau4 seoi2“he can swim” |
| 會wui5 | will; is likely to | 佢會嚟keoi5 wui5 lai4“he will come” |
| 要jiu3 | must; want | 我要水ngo5 jiu3 seoi2“I need water” |
| 想soeng2 | would like to | 我想食嘢ngo5 soeng2 sik6 je5“I would like to eat” |
English packs all of these into “can” and “will”. Cantonese keeps them apart, and which one a sentence uses is often the whole point of the sentence.
Comparing: the describing word first, then 過
大daai6“big”
大過你daai6 gwo3 nei5“bigger than you”
literally “big-surpass you”. The same 過gwo3 that marks a past experience does this second job
好hou2“good”
最好zeoi3 hou2“best”
最zeoi3 in front is “most”
睇tai2“look”
睇吓tai2 haa5“have a quick look”
吓haa5 after a verb makes the action brief and casual
More everyday verbs
| English | Cantonese |
|---|---|
| sit | 坐co5 |
| stand | 企kei5 |
| sleep | 瞓fan3 |
| laugh, smile | 笑siu3 |
| cry | 喊haam3 |
| help | 幫bong1 |
| do, make | 做zou6 |
| return, go back | 返faan1 |
| buy | 買maai5 |
| sell | 賣maai6 |
企kei5“stand” is the second character of 屋企uk1 kei2“home” — a house you stand in.