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Thread: Basic Cantonese. Help?

  1. #1

    Basic Cantonese. Help?

    Can anyone tell me the Cantonese for the following basic terms?

    Counting, 1 to 10?

    Yes/No?

    Please/Thank you

    Hello/Goodbye

    Thanks in advance if anyone can do this for me. (Also, just spell it phonetically. I know that Cantonese doesn't really have a standard roman form).

    Thanks.

    "i can barely click the link. but i way why stop drinking .... i got ... moe .. fcke me ..im out of it" - GDA on Traditional vs Modern Wushu
    ---------------------------------------------
    but what if the man of steel hasta fight another man of steel only that man of steel knows kung fu? - Kristoffer
    ---------------------------------------------
    How do you think monks/strippers got started before the internet? - Gene Ching
    ---------------------------------------------
    Find your peace in practice. - Gene Ching

  2. #2
    C'mon, I'm sure someone here must know! It's quite simple ain't it?
    "i can barely click the link. but i way why stop drinking .... i got ... moe .. fcke me ..im out of it" - GDA on Traditional vs Modern Wushu
    ---------------------------------------------
    but what if the man of steel hasta fight another man of steel only that man of steel knows kung fu? - Kristoffer
    ---------------------------------------------
    How do you think monks/strippers got started before the internet? - Gene Ching
    ---------------------------------------------
    Find your peace in practice. - Gene Ching

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
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    Sydney, NSW, Australia
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    4,418
    I am not a Cantonese speaker, but I think:

    Thank you = do xie [pronounced 'door shieh']

    Hello = ni hao (ma) [pronounced nee how ma]

    As for anything else I am not exactly sure. Sorry
    cxxx[]:::::::::::>
    Behold, I see my father and mother.
    I see all my dead relatives seated.
    I see my master seated in Paradise and Paradise is beautiful and green; with him are men and boy servants.
    He calls me. Take me to him.

  4. #4
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    I don't know about do xie (mandarin for thank you is xiexie or xiexie ni), but ni hao is mandarin for hello. Maybe this is the same for both dialects???
    "Duifang jing zhi meng ji, wo fang tui zhi ce fang xi zhi."

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Sydney, NSW, Australia
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    I am pretty sure about ni hao being hello in Cantonese.

    I am also pretty sure about do xie as well (its meaning is more like thank you very much), but I cannot be certain. The way the 'xie' is pronounced is slightly different to the Mandarin - it has more of a 'ch' sound in it than the Mandarin pronounciation. It may also be a more formal way of saying thank you - there may be a more colloquial term instead.
    cxxx[]:::::::::::>
    Behold, I see my father and mother.
    I see all my dead relatives seated.
    I see my master seated in Paradise and Paradise is beautiful and green; with him are men and boy servants.
    He calls me. Take me to him.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    1,400
    This really has nothing to do with serpents question but ill put in my crappy under researched Chinese into this as well.
    Do Chea is Canto for 'Thank you'
    Shea Shea is Mandarin for Thank you

    Ni Hao litteraly means 'you good'
    Its akin to saying 'how you going'
    Ni Hao Ma means you good today
    Ni (you) Hao (good) Ma(today)
    This is from my limited rememberence of the little ive picked up and been taught over the years

    Gung Hei Fat Choy
    Basicaly basicaly means 'Come lucky money' or words to that affect.
    and we think we are all so special walking around saying it on Chinese new years.
    They proberly all think were greedy now
    Im spelling things as they sound rather than following any accepted way.
    Last edited by jon; 03-12-2002 at 09:28 PM.
    Up and down, forward and backward, left and right, its all the same. All of this is done with the mind, not externaly.
    ------------------------------------
    Shaped dragon and looking monkey, sitting tiger and turning eagle.


    "I wonder how they would do against jon's no-tension fu. I bet they'd do REALLY WELL."
    - Huang Kai Vun

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    1,400
    Special note...
    One guy walked into our class and tried to impress my teacher by saying.
    Ohio Gazamous Sensai
    If he was learning a Japanese art he would have been hella cool, my sifu needless to say just gave him a blank look and said hi...

    Another tried to speak to him in poor chinese and my sifu ended up simply telling him he couldnt understand and speak slow english.

    I find peoples attempts to speak to my sifu very amusing...
    Another funny thing is watching how often all the students refer to him as sifu.
    If we go out to lunch i hear the word 'sifu' or 'shifu' said so many times i start to want to go balistic and want to kill someone.
    They start EVERY sentence with it.
    Sifu would like more tea
    Sifu what do you think of this
    Sifu your sitting right next to me do i really need to keep addressing you formaly.
    Sifu how many times can i say sifu before you go nuts and stop letting me call you sifu leaving me without a sifu and looking for a new sifu and and and... breath breath
    I just talk to him normaly and address him as sifu when i need to get his attension. If he is sitting next to me and i offer him some tea i just turn and say 'tea?' and he says yes or no.

    Sorry for the stupid rant but this never fails to annoy me...
    As a special side note to that, people on the street who are chinese call him sifu and so does nearly everyone he has contact with. He seems to quite like the fact i dont feel the need to follow there leads.
    Last edited by jon; 03-12-2002 at 09:39 PM.
    Up and down, forward and backward, left and right, its all the same. All of this is done with the mind, not externaly.
    ------------------------------------
    Shaped dragon and looking monkey, sitting tiger and turning eagle.


    "I wonder how they would do against jon's no-tension fu. I bet they'd do REALLY WELL."
    - Huang Kai Vun

  8. #8
    Gung hei faat choy is more like "Good fortune to you" and the Chinese are a little preoccupied with cash after all. Especially at new year.

    Xie Xie is Mandarin. As is Ni Hao. I don't know if the Canto's use Ni Hao also.

    Dor Chai (phonetically) is Mandarin, but I think also Cantonese.

    Are you getting the reason that I asked now!

    Anyone actually speak Cantonese!? Help Me!
    "i can barely click the link. but i way why stop drinking .... i got ... moe .. fcke me ..im out of it" - GDA on Traditional vs Modern Wushu
    ---------------------------------------------
    but what if the man of steel hasta fight another man of steel only that man of steel knows kung fu? - Kristoffer
    ---------------------------------------------
    How do you think monks/strippers got started before the internet? - Gene Ching
    ---------------------------------------------
    Find your peace in practice. - Gene Ching

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Posts
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    jon - maybe the poeple that keep using 'sifu' have watched too many kung fu movies Or maybe they genuinely respect him and that is their way of showing it.

    serpent - Sorry I cannot help any further personally. I have 2 Cantonese speakers here with me but just to be cruel I am not going to ask for their help
    cxxx[]:::::::::::>
    Behold, I see my father and mother.
    I see all my dead relatives seated.
    I see my master seated in Paradise and Paradise is beautiful and green; with him are men and boy servants.
    He calls me. Take me to him.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Human Realm
    Posts
    881
    1-10 = YUT, Yee, SUM, Sei, Ehm (sort of like mmm), loog, chut, Phut, Gao (Kah-o), SUP

    Yes = Hai (low H, else becomes a swear word)
    No = Ehm (mmm)-Hai (this mmm is slightly lower than number 5 above)

    Please = no direct translate, but "MMM-Goi"
    Thank you = Dhor - Jeh (cheh) Lei

    Hello (You good) = Lei Ho
    Good bye (See you again) = "Joi Gin" or in the chinese movies "Hau Wui Yao Kei"
    Sorry for absense, lots happening.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Posts
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    D@mmit prana, you ruined my extortion attempt.
    cxxx[]:::::::::::>
    Behold, I see my father and mother.
    I see all my dead relatives seated.
    I see my master seated in Paradise and Paradise is beautiful and green; with him are men and boy servants.
    He calls me. Take me to him.

  12. #12
    Ha! In your face, Joedoe!

    Thanks Prana, your on my "decent blokes" list once again!
    "i can barely click the link. but i way why stop drinking .... i got ... moe .. fcke me ..im out of it" - GDA on Traditional vs Modern Wushu
    ---------------------------------------------
    but what if the man of steel hasta fight another man of steel only that man of steel knows kung fu? - Kristoffer
    ---------------------------------------------
    How do you think monks/strippers got started before the internet? - Gene Ching
    ---------------------------------------------
    Find your peace in practice. - Gene Ching

  13. #13
    Actually, I have a question about your answer Prana!

    1-10 = YUT, Yee, SUM, Sei, Ehm (sort of like mmm), loog, chut, Phut, Gao (Kah-o), SUP
    loog - do you pronounce that long: loooog

    or short: lug?

    Also

    Phut - futt or putt?
    "i can barely click the link. but i way why stop drinking .... i got ... moe .. fcke me ..im out of it" - GDA on Traditional vs Modern Wushu
    ---------------------------------------------
    but what if the man of steel hasta fight another man of steel only that man of steel knows kung fu? - Kristoffer
    ---------------------------------------------
    How do you think monks/strippers got started before the internet? - Gene Ching
    ---------------------------------------------
    Find your peace in practice. - Gene Ching

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    577
    Hey in that case i desperately need help with my mandorin...

    i know all the basics, but what i really need to know is how do you say:

    - Your place or mine?

    - wake up! wake up!

    - excuse me

    - do you miss me?

    - whats your name?

    - my name is Tae Li.

    ok, who's gonna help me out??? there has to be OMEONE hwo speaks mando!

    Tae Li
    The difference lies in you.

    "I understand now that fear is a normal reaction of the Human Body, so why fight it? Accept being afraid, but dont let it hold you back, keep moving forward and the light will shine at the end of the tunnel"
    -Tae Li.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    81

    I'll Try to Help

    counting

    1)Yut, 2)Yee, 3)Sam, 4)Se, 5)Ng, 6)Luk, 7)Chut, 8)Baht, 9)Gao, 10)Sup.

    Hai= Yes No= m hai

    when you use m in front of an adjective, it becomes negative or the opposite of yes.

    ex. if someone ask you how are you? You would respond not good. The word for good is Ho.

    q) Nai Ho Ma? a) M Ho.

    Please= Cheng

    Thank You: Doh Je

    Hello: Nai Ho Ma= How are You?
    good morning= Jo San
    good afternoon= ng ngon
    good evening= Man Ngon

    bye= baai baai
    see you= joi wooi or joi gin
    see you soon= chi di joi gin
    see you tomorrow= ting yat joi gin

    I hope I was some help to you.

    Peace

    Je Lei Sifu
    The Southern Fist Subdues The Fierce Mountain Tiger

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