Words
for People
Words
for People = 100 words
Basic Words
|
|
English |
Cantonese |
Comments |
Char |
|
401 |
Father |
baba |
Think ‘Papa’ This is what to
call your boy/girlfriends parents |
|
|
402 |
Mother |
mama |
|
|
|
403 |
Baby |
bAi-be |
Baby is
very close |
|
|
404 |
Woman,
waitress |
leun(g)
loi |
Pronounced ‘len(g) ’ almost ! Mandarin ‘lang liU’ |
靚女 |
|
405 |
Man, boy,
waiter |
leun(g)
zhI |
Mandarin ‘lang
zhi’. ‘leurn(g) ’ means beautiful |
靚子 |
|
406 |
Brother |
saI-lO |
Remember
‘saI’ is pronounced ‘sigh’. Variations are: Big brother, No. 2, No.
3, little Brother; stated as Dai lo,
yee lo, sam lo, saI lo. Same thing for girls. Note: saI
lo and saI mooi are also often used as references to personal sexual organs =
be careful! |
|
|
407 |
Sister |
saI moo-yi |
|
|
|
408 |
Friend |
pun(g)
yaow |
|
|
|
409 |
Good
friend |
hO pun(g)
yaow |
|
|
|
410 |
Boy as a
friend |
ham
pun(g) yaow |
|
|
|
411 |
Best
friend, brother |
saI lO |
|
|
|
412 |
Best
friend, sister |
saI mooi |
|
|
|
413 |
Boyfriend |
lam
pun(g) yaow |
Nasal ‘L’ |
|
|
414 |
Girlfriend |
loi
pun(g) yaow |
|
|
|
415 |
Uncle |
ah-sook |
1.
Real
Uncle and Aunt
2.
Usually an older, honoury,
family friend |
|
|
416 |
Aunt |
ah-sam |
|
|
|
417 |
Nephew |
bEEU hing
dIe |
|
|
|
418 |
Niece |
bEEU
zh’uh mooi |
|
|
|
419 |
Grandparents |
zhao foo
mO |
|
|
|
420 |
Housewife |
ga ting
d’zh’U-EE foo |
|
|
|
421 |
Mr |
san(g) |
Used as family
name plus ‘saan’. 5% ‘g’ |
|
|
422 |
Mrs |
tai |
Used as family
name plus ‘tai’ |
|
|
423 |
Husband |
lO gong |
Spoken
more like ‘le-gon’ |
|
|
|
Husband
(Official) |
jurng foo |
|
|
|
424 |
Wife |
lO pau |
Say as
‘paw’ as in dogs foot |
|
|
|
Wife
(Official) |
taI-taI |
|
|
|
425 |
Boy child |
zhI-zhI |
Normally
used as an endearment. Use from Babies, and for up to 10 years old is best |
|
|
426 |
Girl
Child |
moo-yi moo-yi |
|
|
|
427 |
Unknown
child |
siU
pun(g) yaow |
Lit. Small
friend. Public address used for any child Used as a
general term for people and things |
|
|
428 |
Old,
elder, respected |
lO |
|
|
|
429 |
Boss |
lO baan |
The
way to address the factory or restaurant boss |
|
|
430 |
Supervisor |
gin(g)
lAi |
‘gi’ as
in a fishes gill |
|
|
431 |
Waiter
(Formal) |
for gAi |
|
伙計 |
|
432 |
Waitress
(Formal) |
seeU GEE |
See below
and be very careful… |
|
|
433 |
Fat
(Small insult) |
siU GEE |
Lit.
Little pig. British equivalent = ‘You pig’ or ‘Fat cow’. Can be a joke, or
can be very serious |
|
|
434 |
Head,
owner |
lo
(Prefix) |
Old
(Things or people), ancient, respected, chief |
|
|
435 |
Stupid
person |
so
(Prefix) |
Use with
common words. ‘so-lo’ means stupid man or husband, ‘so-pau’ means stupid
wife, etc |
|
|
436 |
married |
git jor
fun |
|
|
|
437 |
engaged |
ding jor
fun |
|
|
|
438 |
Crazy
Person |
fong pAi |
An insult
similar to ‘bastard’. Definitely not polite! Lit. Bad
wind, smelly fart |
|
|
439 |
Cleaner
(Job) |
sin(g)
git gung |
|
|
|
440 |
Private
Driver |
sI gAi
zhI |
|
|
|
441 |
Happy to
meet an acquaintance |
hO gO heng yeng sic lAi |
This means you
want to know the person better, become new and good friends |
|
|
442 |
You are
beautiful |
lAi hO len(g) |
A simple an
very effective compliment |
|
|
443 |
You smell
nice |
lAi hO heurng |
You notice she
is wearing a great perfume, etc |
|
|
444 |
Look for
a date |
kow loi |
In this
context, ‘kow’ means ‘hunt’ The correct
meaning appears to be : ‘play The game’ |
|
|
445 |
kow zhI |
|
||
|
446 |
Any ball sports |
‘xxx’ kow |
‘juk-kow’
means football, and here ‘kow’ means ‘ball’. |
|
|
447 |
Monthly
paid-wife |
xiao mAi |
This is
Mandarin, as it does not exist in this form in Cantonese. Basically
something for rich boys who want a wife in all senses of the word, on
a monthly paid basis |
|
|
448 |
Ask
someone out Go for a
walk |
san bOw |
Q. gummon,
lai diuk mmm diuk han, hoi – san bow? To ask a
girl to go for a walk with you is very romantic |
|
|
449 |
Ask
someone out 2 Dinner
date |
sic fan |
Q. gummon,
lai diuk mmm diuk han, hoi – sici fan? Would you
like/not like to dine with me tonight? |
|
|
450 |
Surprise
meeting |
gum am
gAi |
Meet
without an appointment, bump into each other |
|
|
451 |
What time
we meet |
gAi
dim-ma? |
Given she has agreed to see you, you then need to fix the time |
|
|
452 |
Polite
way to ask a nice girl something |
yup mmm
yup lAi… |
Followed by your question |
|
|
453 |
My name
is … |
n-gor gU
xxx |
‘knorr gU
… Jonno’ is what is spoken |
|
|
454 |
What’s
your name? |
lAi gU mAer
meurng? |
Guttural
and phonetic. ‘g + U’. Maer = ‘mae-yuer’. Meurng = sounds just like
meringue, shortened (No ‘a’) |
|
|
455 |
Q. How
are you? |
lAi hO ma? |
Do not use as a general greeting, this is a real question This should be a complete exchange |
|
|
456 |
A. Fine
thanks, and you? |
Gai ho,
yaow sum lAi ne? |
|
|
|
457 |
A. I am
fine also |
gAi hO yaow
sum |
|
|
|
458 |
Can I
give you my number? |
lAi gor
sou gAi hai gAi door? |
Polite
way to ask a girl for phone numbers exchange My
number is…, & if accepted, she will respond in kind |
|
|
459 |
Simple
version 1 |
n-gor
din-wah |
My mobile
number is … |
|
|
460 |
Simple
version 2 |
lAi din
wah? |
What’s
your number = very simple version. Add ‘mmm goi’ for politeness, although
‘doh d’zhee’ is far better |
|
|
|
Person |
Cantonese |
Mandarin and Notes |
Char |
|
461 |
President
|
wu gun tO |
Hu Jintao |
|
|
462 |
Premier |
won gah
bO |
Wen Jiabao |
|
|
463 |
NPCSC |
Use
Mandarin |
Wu Bangguo –
Chairman of NPCSC |
|
|
464 |
Vice-President |
Use
Mandarin |
Xi Jin Ping |
|
|
465 |
Chairman
Mao |
mo zadong |
Mao Zedong
(HK : Mo Tse Dong) |
|
|
466 |
Deng
Xiaoping |
dang siu
ping |
Deng
Xiaoping |
|
|
467 |
Sun Yat
Sen |
seon yut
zen |
Sun Yat
Sen |
黄
帝 |
|
468 |
Chang Kai Shek |
churng
gai chek |
Chang Kai Shek |
|
|
469 |
The
Yellow Emperor |
wong dIe |
Huang Di |
皇帝 |
|
470 |
Yue The
Great |
dIe yUe |
Da Yu –
Founder of the Xia Dynasty C 2000 BC |
|
|
471 |
Qin
Empire |
t’chun
chE wong |
Qin Shi
Huang – Founder of the first Chinese Empire |
|
|
472 |
Confucius |
gon(g) fu
gas |
|
|
|
473 |
Dowager
Cixi |
CEE CEE |
Empress
Dowager Cixi – last ruler of the last Empire |
|
|
474 |
Wu Zetian |
wu za
tien |
The only
woman to be Empress in her own right |
|
|
475 |
Kublai
Khan |
gublAi
gan |
Created
the geographical outline of modern China |
|
|
476 |
Marco
Polo |
maa go
kow |
Explorer,
more famous in the West |
|
|
477 |
Xu Xia Ku |
Su sIa
goo |
Famous
Painter |
|
|
478 |
Zhang
ZeDuan |
Jung za
duan |
Traveller
and writer of the Ming Empire |
|
|
479 |
Donald
Zhang |
dIe zhung |
Alt in
HK: Donald T’sung – Leader of Hong Kong |
|
|
480 |
Landlord/lady |
Uk zhU |
Added
here because you may need to know this word |
|
|
|
Person |
Cantonese |
Mandarin and Notes |
Char |
|
481 |
Real Life
in Foshan |
wong fei
hong |
Huang Fei Hong,
Fled to Foshan from Shaolin Temple |
|
|
482 |
Real Life
in Foshan |
yEEp maan |
Ip Man – Fought
the Japanese. Bruce Lee’s Master |
|
|
483 |
Bruce Lee |
lAi siu
long |
Your Little
Dragon. ‘VIP’ in HK and Guangdong |
|
|
484 |
Jet Li |
lAi lin
GEE |
The new Master
of film Kung Fu |
|
|
485 |
Jackie
Chan |
siU long |
Little Dragon |
|
|
486 |
‘The fat
guy’ |
hO gam bO |
Very famous
Gongfu star. Filmed with Jackie Chan |
|
|
487 |
Fat soap’s
woman |
fa-fa |
She is in
an awful lot of Cantonese soaps |
|
|
488 |
Beckham |
dah
buc-kaam |
Still
regarded as the world’s best footballer today |
|
|
489 |
Gerrard |
jhe-lah-dE |
|
|
|
490 |
Manchester
United |
maan-lun |
|
|
|
491 |
Liverpool |
li-eurh
poo |
|
|
|
492 |
Chelsea |
sche-les-zE |
|
|
|
493 |
Andy Lau |
an-DEE lO |
Star of
many films and songs |
|
|
494 |
Pang Long |
pung
lo-ung |
Established
folk and pop idol. Hit: ‘999 red roses’ |
|
|
495 |
Beyond |
bE-yon |
Probably
the biggest rock band ever: from Hong Kong |
|
|
496 |
Shin |
Ss-iEm |
10% ‘E’.
‘One Night in Beijing’ – listen and learn! |
|
|
497 |
Long Long |
lowng
lo-ung |
Long Long
– International Pianist ‘extraordinary’ |
|
|
498 |
Yao Ming |
yU ming |
Yao Ming
– Baseball star for the Rockets |
|
|
499 |
Liu Xiang |
lau
chuerng sing |
Ex World
record holder and Gold Medallist |
|
|
500 |
Godzilla |
goh zEE
lIe-ah |
25 due for
release soon: Lang's: Jap, Man, Can; subs: En |
|
v Cantonese peoples have a very strong following of ‘Gongfu’, and are very proud of their natural heritage, hence the extended list of King Fu stars
v Please watch the new film (Out 2009) called “Ip Man” to learn about the real history of Foshan