Phrases

Cantonese Phrases (Common Expressions)

Duration: 30 min

This section contains 400 of the most used phrases in Cantonese. This should help you improve your speaking, reading and writing. Exploring the whole list will make it easier to start conversations and understand what was said to you. I divided this section into 4 pages, the first 100 are listed on this page, then the rest here: phrases 2, phrases 3, phrases 4. Each page contains 100 common expressions. Going through each page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Cantonese Classes.

Phrases Tips

To make sure you are more likely to remember each expression, try to first to read the sentence without hearing it, then click to hear how it is prnounced, then read it out loud 3 times while imagining yourself vividly talking to somone. Also try to practice what you memorized from time to time, to make it stick.

Here are the first 100 common phrases. You will find a lot of them are about greeting someone, introducing yourself or asking where someone is from ... etc. Basically, these are expressions which you might use when starting a conversation with someone you have just met.

Phrases in Cantonese

Phrases Cantonese Audio
How are you? (informal)你好嗎?
nei5 hou2 maa1 ?
How are you? (formal)你點呀?
nei5 dim2 aa1 ?
What's up? (colloquial) 咩事呀?
me1 si6 aa1 ?
I'm fine, thank you!唔錯,有心!
m4 co3 ,jau5 sam1 !
Hi!
wai3 
Good morning!早晨!
zou2 san4 !
Good afternoon!午安!
ng5 ngon1 !
Good evening!晚安!
maan5 ngon1 !
And you? (informal)你幾好嗎?
nei5 gei2 hou2 maa1 ?
And you? (formal)你呢?
nei5 ne1 ?
Good
hou2 
We speak two languages我地識講兩種語言
ngo5 dei6 sik1 gong2 loeng5 zung2 jyu5 jin4 
They speak four languages佢地識講四種語言
keoi5 dei6 sik1 gong2 sei3 zung2 jyu5 jin4 
I visited one country我去左一個國家
ngo5 heoi3 zo2 jat1 go3 gwok3 gaa1 
She visited three countries佢去左三個國家
keoi5 heoi3 zo2 saam1 go3 gwok3 gaa1 
She has one sister佢有一個姐妹
keoi5 jau5 jat1 go3 ze2 mui6 
He has two sisters佢有兩個姐妹
keoi5 jau5 loeng5 go3 ze2 mui6 
Welcome!歡迎
fun1 jing4 
Do you like it here?你鐘唔鐘意呢度?
nei5 zung1 m4 zung1 ji3 ne1 dou6 ?
See you later!遲啲見
ci4 di1 gin3 
Thank you very much!好多謝(to thank for a gift) 真係唔該晒(to thank for a favour)
hou2 do1 ze6 (to  thank  for  a  gift ) zan1 hai6 m4 goi1 saai3 (to  thank  for  a  favour )
I really like it!我真係好鐘意!
ngo5 zan1 hai6 hou2 zung1 ji3 !
Happy開心
hoi1 sam1 
Sad傷心
soeng1 sam1 
Thank you!多謝(to thank for a gift) 唔該(to thank for a favour)
do1 ze6 (to  thank  for  a  gift ) m4 goi1 (to  thank  for  a  favour )
You're welcome! (in response to "thank you")唔駛客氣
m4 sai2 haak3 hei3 
Have a nice day!祝你今日過得開心
zuk1 nei5 gam1 jat6 gwo3 dak1 hoi1 sam1 
Good night!早抖
zou2 dau2 
Have a good trip!一路順風
jat1 lou6 seon6 fung1 
It was nice talking to you!好開心識到你
hou2 hoi1 sam1 sik1 dou3 nei5 
Am I right or wrong?我啱定錯?
ngo5 ngaam1 ding6 co3 ?
Is he younger or older than you?佢細過定大過你?
keoi5 sai3 gwo3 ding6 daai6 gwo3 nei5 ?
Is the test easy or difficult?個測驗易定難?
go3 caak1 jim6 ji6 ding6 naan4 ?
Is this book new or old?呢本書新定舊?
ne1 bun2 syu1 san1 ding6 gau6 ?
This is so expensive太貴啦
taai3 gwai3 laa1 

More Sentences

English Cantonese Audio
Languages
I don't speak Korean我唔識講韓文
ngo5 m4 sik1 gong2 hon4 man4 
I love the Japanese language我鍾意日文
ngo5 zung1 ji3 jat6 man4 
I speak Italian我講意大利文
ngo5 gong2 ji3 daai6 lei6 man4 
I want to learn Spanish我想學西班牙文
ngo5 soeng2 hok6 sai1 baan1 ngaa4 man4 
My mother tongue is German我嘅母語係德文
ngo5 ge3 mou5 jyu5 hai6 dak1 man4 
Spanish is easy to learn西班牙文好易學
sai1 baan1 ngaa4 man4 hou2 ji6 hok6 
Origins
He has a Moroccan rug佢有一張摩洛哥地氈
keoi5 jau5 jat1 zoeng1 mo1 lok6 go1 dei6 zin1 
I have an American car我有一架美國車
ngo5 jau5 jat1 gaa3 mei5 gwok3 ce1 
I love French cheese我鍾意法國芝士
ngo5 zung1 ji3 faat3 gwok3 zi1 si6 
I'm Italian我係意大利人
ngo5 hai6 ji3 daai6 lei6 jan4 
My father is Greek我爸爸係希臘人
ngo5 baa1 baa1 hai6 hei1 laap6 jan4 
My wife is Korean我太太係韓國人
ngo5 taai3 taai3 hai6 hon4 gwok3 jan4 
Countries
Have you ever been to India?你有冇去過印度?
nei5 jau5 mou5 heoi3 gwo3 jan3 dou6 ?
I came from Spain我來自西班牙
ngo5 loi4 zi6 sai1 baan1 ngaa4 
I live in America我住係美國
ngo5 zyu6 hai6 mei5 gwok3 
I want to go to Germany我想去德國
ngo5 soeng2 heoi3 dak1 gwok3 
I was born in Italy我係意大利出世
ngo5 hai6 ji3 daai6 lei6 ceot1 sai3 
Japan is a beautiful country日本係一個好靚嘅國家
jat6 bun2 hai6 jat1 go3 hou2 leng3 ge3 gwok3 gaa1 
Long time no see好耐冇見
hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3 
I missed you我好掛住你
ngo5 hou2 gwaa3 zyu6 nei5 
What's new?最近點?
zeoi3 gan6 dim2 ?
Nothing new有咩特別。
jau5 me1 dak6 bit6 。
Make yourself at home!當係自己屋企
dong1 hai6 zi6 gei2 nguk1 kei5 
Have a good trip一路順風
jat1 lou6 seon6 fung1 
Can I practice Italian with you?我可唔可以同你練意大利文
ngo5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 tung4 nei5 lin6 ji3 daai6 lei6 man4 
I speak French but with an accent我識講法文但有口音
ngo5 sik1 gong2 faat3 man4 daan6 jau5 hau2 jam1 
I was born in Miami我係邁阿密出世
ngo5 hai6 maai6 aa3 mat6 ceot1 sai3 
I'm from Japan我來自日本
ngo5 loi4 zi6 jat6 bun2 
The letter is inside the book封信係本書入面
fung1 seon3 hai6 bun2 syu1 jap6 min6 
The pen is under the desk枝筆喺枱底
zi1 bat1 hai2 toi4 dai2 
Directions方向
fong1 hoeng3 
Can I help you?我有咩幫到你?
ngo5 jau5 me1 bong1 dou3 nei5 ?
Can you help me?你可唔可以幫我?
nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 ngo5 ?
Can you show me?你可唔可以指示俾我睇
nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 zi2 si6 bei2 ngo5 tai2 
Come with me!跟我嚟
gan1 ngo5 lai4 
Downtown (city center)市中心
si5 zung1 sam1 
Excuse me! (to ask someone)唔好意思
m4 hou2 ji3 si1 
Go straight直行
zik6 hang4 
How can I get to the museum? 點樣去博物館?
dim2 joeng6 heoi3 bok3 mat6 gun2 ?
How long does it take to get there?去嗰度要幾耐?
heoi3 go2 dou6 jiu3 gei2 noi6 ?
I'm lost我蕩失咗路
ngo5 dong6 sat1 zo2 lou6 
I'm not from here我唔係本地人
ngo5 m4 hai6 bun2 dei6 jan4 
It's far from here離呢度好遠
lei4 ne1 dou6 hou2 jyun5 
It's near here就係附近
zau6 hai6 fu6 gan6 
One moment please!等一陣
dang2 jat1 zan6 
Turn left轉左
zyun2 zo2 
Turn right轉右
zyun2 jau6 

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact me using the Cantonese contact form on the header above.

Here are the rest of the Cantonese phrases: phrases 2, phrases 3, phrases 4. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Cantonese homepage.