Free Cantonese Chinese Lessons
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Free Cantonese Chinese LessonsMain Menu | Mandarin Lessons | Chinese Tutoring | Bookmark & Share | Link to Us |
These Cantonese Chinese lessons have been designed to provide practical travel vocabulary and a foundation for basic conversational skills. You may also download a complete audio transcript for listening in your car. |
| English: | 1 | |
| Chinese: | yut |
| English: | 2 (for math and counting) | |
| Chinese: | yee |
| This is the mathematical number 2. However, when counting a particular object, the correct word for two can be thought of as similar to the English word meaning a couple of: |
| English: | 2 (conversational) | |
| Chinese: | leung |
| English: | 3 | |
| Chinese: | sahm |
| English: | 4 | |
| Chinese: | say |
| English: | To die / to be dead | |
| Chinese: | say |
| English: | 4 | |
| Chinese: | say |
| The verb meaning to die sounds similar to 4, but has a rising tone. This is just one example that demonstrates the need to try to imitate the tones that you're hearing as closely possible. This will seem very difficult at first, but it becomes easier with practice, and as your ear become more sensitive to the tonal variations of the language. |
| English: | 5 | |
| Chinese: | hm |
| English: | 6 | |
| Chinese: | lohk |
| English: | 7 | |
| Chinese: | tchut |
| English: | 8 | |
| Chinese: | baht |
| English: | 9 | |
| Chinese: | gau |
| English: | 10 | |
| Chinese: | sup |
| In Cantonese, most nouns have an associated measure word, sometimes called a classifier, which precedes the noun much in the same manner that the words a or an precede nouns in English. But unlike English, Cantonese has different measure words for different categories of nouns. They are best learned along with new vocabulary, and will be introduced periodically throughout the program. With practice you will become familiar with which measure word a particluar noun receives. |
| English: | (Measure word used for most objects and people) | |
| Chinese: | goh |
| English: | One person | |
| Chinese: | yut goh yan | |
| Literally: | (same) |
| English: | Three people | |
| Chinese: | sahm goh yan | |
| Literally: | (same) |
| English: | Six people | |
| Chinese: | lohk goh yan | |
| Literally: | (same) |
| English: | Car | |
| Chinese: | tchay |
| English: | (Measure word for cars / vehicles) | |
| Chinese: | gah |
| English: | One car | |
| Chinese: | yut gah tchay | |
| Literally: | (same) |
| English: | Two cars | |
| Chinese: | leung gah tchay | |
| Literally: | (same) |
| English: | 10 people | |
| Chinese: | sup goh yan | |
| Literally: | (same) |
| English: | Some cars | |
| Chinese: | yut-dee tchay | |
| Literally: | (same) |
| English: | They're in the car | |
| Chinese: | keui-day hie gah tchay doh | |
| Literally: | they located the car place |