World and People

 

1.        World Atlas = 100 Words for People and Places

 

Major Chinese Cites

 

 

English

Cantonese

Comments

Char (Trad)

501

Beijing

bak ging

10% ‘k’. Aka: Peking

北京

502

Shanghai

sheurng hoi

 

上海

503

Guangzhou

gon(g) zhao

 

广州

504

Chengdu

sing dOu

 

成都市

505

ChongQing

chung hing

The world’s largest city – Population = 30 million +

重庆

506

Dali

daI lAi

In Yunnan Province

大理

507

Daliang

daI lin

Alt (Foshanwah) “daI l’yowng”

大量

508

Kunming

kwan ming

 

昆明市

509

Foshan

f’san

Alt: ‘namhoiwah’ = ‘fou(r) san [10% ‘r’]; HK = ‘fu shan’. Local: “f’san-nah!”

佛山

510

Hong Kong

heurng gon(g)

20% ‘g’

香港

511

Hangzhou

ho’un(g) zhao

10% ‘g’ – but carries through to the ‘zhao’. ‘hun-g’zhao’ via nasal ‘ng’ sound. Very Difficult!

杭州

512

Lhasa

lAi saat

 

拉萨

513

Macao

au mun

Also spelt ‘Macau

澳门 (澳門)

514

Nanjing

naam ging

‘ging’ as in “Gingham” fabric

南京

516

Sanya

san aa

 

三亚

a

Shenzhen

sum-jun

The centre of Shenzhen is

Luo Hu (Lo Wu) 罗湖; (羅湖)

深圳

517

Wuxi

mou sek

 

无锡 (無錫)

518

Xi’an

sAi on

Home of the Terracotta Warriors

西安

519

Xiamen

haa mun

Aka: Amoy

厦门 (廈門)

520

Tai Bei

toi bak

10% ‘k’. Capital of Taiwan Island. Aka: Tai Pai

台北

 

Note:

v      Although appearing somewhat strange at first, most Chinese cities have names based upon cardinal points, rivers etc. Therefore, if you know these basic words, Chinese cities become a lot easier to remember

v      Mandarin (Simplified) Chinese characters have been mainly used. Cantonese (Traditional) characters are given in brackets where appropriate

v      ‘CEE’ means city, usage optional

v      or means gate and door, and may be considered to mean port

 

 

10 Words for Foreign Cities

 

521

Bangkok

mon(g) gok

 

曼谷

522

Hollywood

hO lAi wut

These are places important to Cantonese people

好莱坞

523

Kuala Lumpur

gat lung bO

 

吉隆坡

524

London

lun-dun

 

伦敦

525

Manila

mun E ah

 

 

526

New York

now yeuk

 

纽约

527

Paris

bah-lAi

 

巴黎

528

Rome

lo-maa

 

罗马

529

Sydney

sic nEE

 

悉尼

530

Tokyo

don(g) ging

 

东京

 

 

20 Words for Foreign Countries’

 

531

Africa

fei zhao

 

非洲

532

Arabia

ah laai baak

 

沙特阿拉伯

533

Australia

au dIe lAi aa

Alt HK: ou zhao

澳大利亚

534

Brazil

bah CEE

 

巴西

535

Canada

ga lah dIe

 

加拿大

536

England

ying gaa laan

 

英格兰

537

Europe

au zhao

 

欧洲

538

France

faat gwok

 

法国

539

Germany

dut gwok

 

德国

540

India

jan dou

 

印度

541

Ireland

oi-er laan

 

爱尔兰

542

Italy

yEE dIe lAi

 

意大利

543

Japan

yut boon

 

日本

544

Korea (South)

hon gwok

 

韩国

 

Korea (North)

zhiU sin

 

朝鮮

545

Mongolia

mun(g) goo

 

蒙古

546

Pakistan

baa gAi CEE taan

 

巴基斯坦

547

Russia

ngo lo CEE

 

俄罗斯

548

Spain

sAi baan ngaa

 

西班牙

549

Thailand

tIe gwok

 

泰国

550

USA

mAi gwok

 

美国

 

 

20 Words for Foreigners

美国美国

 

551

African

fei zhao yun

 

非洲人

552

Arab

ah laai baak yun

 

阿拉伯人

553

Australian

ou zhao yun

 

澳大利亚人

554

Brazilian

bah CEE yun

 

巴西人

555

Canadian

ga lah dIe yun

 

加拿大人

556

English (British)

ying gaa laan yun

Full = ‘yiEng’ with 10% ‘E’ and 5% ‘g’

英国人

557

European

au zhao yun

 

欧洲人

558

French

faat gwok yun

 

法国人

559

German

dut gwok yun

 

德国人

560

Indian

jan dou yun

 

印度人

561

Irish

oi-er laan yun

 

爱尔兰人

562

Italian

yEE dIe lAi yun

 

意大利人

563

Japanese

yut boon yun

 

日本人

564

Korea (South)

hon gwok yun

 

韩国人

 

Korea (North)

zhiU sin yun

 

朝鮮人

565

Mongolian

mun(g) goo yun

 

蒙古人

566

Pakistan

baa gAi CEE taan yun

 

巴基斯坦人

567

Russian

ngo lo CEE yun

 

俄国人

568

Spanish

sAi baan ngaa yun

 

西班牙人

569

Thai

tIe gwok yun

 

泰国人

570

USA American

mAi gwok yun

 

美国人

 

Note:

v      These are simply the country name with ‘yun’ meaning person added

 

 

10 Important Additions

 

571

Vietnam

yut laam

 

越南

572

The Philippines

fAi le ba-un

 

菲律賓

573

Nepal

nAi bok gEE

 

尼泊爾

574

Indonesia

yan nAi

 

印尼

575

Singapore

san gaa bO

 

新加坡

576

Han Chinese

hon zhuk

 

漢族

577

Ethnic Chinese

waa jeio

Not Han, but part of the Chinese Peoples

華裔

578

Caucasian

bak guI

General term: means: White Ghost.

鬼佬

579

Negro

haak guI

General term: means: Black Ghost

580

Latin / Hispanic person

lAi ding man zuk

General term: means:

拉丁民族

 

 

Provinces and Administrative regions of China

 

581

Anhui

fn fAi

 

安徽

582

Fu Jian

fuk ging

 

福建

583

Gan Su

gam suk

 

甘肃

584

Guangdong

gong do-ung

Alt : ‘yut’ meaning Cantonese or Guangdong

广东 ()

585

Guizhou

gwAi zhao

 

贵州

586

Heilongjiang

hak lo-ung gong

 

黑龙江

587

Hebei

hO baak

 

河北

588

Henan

hO naam

 

河南

589

Hubei

wu baak

 

湖北

590

Hunan

wu naam

 

湖南

591

Jilin

gat laam

 

吉林

592

Jiang Su

gong sou

 

江苏

593

Jiang Xi

gong sIe

 

江西

594

Qing Hai

cing hoi saang

 

青海

595

Liao Ning

liU ning

 

辽宁

596

Shanxi

saan sAi

 

山西

597

Shaanxi

sim sAi

 

陕西

598

Shandong

san do-ung

 

山东

599

Sichuan

sAi cyUn

 

四川

600

Yunnan

wan naam

 

云南

600+

Zhe Jiang

Zit gong

 

浙江

 

 

 

 

 

 

Municipalities

 

Read: Regionally self-Governing Metropolitan Areas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beijing

bak ging

 

北京

 

Shanghai

sheurng hoi

 

上海

 

Chongqing

chung hing

 

重庆

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autonomous Regions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guangxi

gong sIe

Properly: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

广西

 

Inner Mongolia

noi mung goo

Properly: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

内蒙古

 

Ning Xia

ning haa

Properly: Ning Xia Hui Autonomous Region

宁夏

 

Xin Jiang

san goeng

Properly: Xin Jiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

新疆

 

Tibet

sIe zhong

Properly: Tibet Autonomous Region

西藏

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAR’s

 

Special Administrative Region’s

特备行政区

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hong Kong

heurng gon(g)

港版 ‘gong baan’ mean ‘of Hong Kong’

香港

 

Macao

au mun

 

澳门

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listed Separately:

 

We endeavour to be ‘apolitical’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hainan Island

hoi naam

Historically part of Guangdong and North Vietnam (Yut Peoples). Now part of Guangxi

海南

 

Taiwan

toi won

Aka: Formosa

台湾

 

Map Click for Larger Image

Map courtesy of Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_China

 

 

We will continue with some names for flora and fauna in chapter 7