People & everyday life (1–15)

CantoneseJyutpingEnglishNote
我ngo5I / me
你nei5you
佢keoi5he / she / theygender-neutral
我哋ngo5 dei6we哋 = plural marker
你哋nei5 dei6you all
佢哋keoi5 dei6they
大家daai6 gaa1everyone
人jan4person / people
朋友pang4 jau5friend
屋企人uk1 kei2 jan4family member屋企 = home
先生sin1 saang1Mr. / gentleman / teacher
小姐siu2 ze2Miss / young lady
小朋友siu2 pang4 jau5child / kidliterally "small friend"
老闆lou5 baan2boss / owner (of a shop)address a shopkeeper this way
醫生ji1 sang1doctor

Time & days (16–30)

CantoneseJyutpingEnglishNote
今日gam1 jat6today
聽日ting1 jat6tomorrowcolloquial — written 明天
尋日cam4 jat6yesterdaycolloquial — written 昨天
而家ji4 gaa1nowcolloquial — written 現在
陣間zan6 gaan1in a moment / later
頭先tau4 sin1just now
朝早ziu1 zou2morning
晏晝aan3 zau3afternoon / midday
夜晚je6 maan5night / evening
星期sing1 kei4week星期一 = Monday…星期日 = Sunday
月jyut6month / moon一月 January
年nin4year
鐘zung1o'clock / clock三點鐘 = 3 o'clock
分鐘fan1 zung1minute
時間si4 gaan1time有冇時間? = do you have time?

Food & drink (31–45)

CantoneseJyutpingEnglishNote
飯faan6cooked rice / a meal
麵min6noodles
雲吞wan4 tan1wontonour mascot!
點心dim2 sam1dim sum
茶caa4tea飲茶 = yum cha
水seoi2water
咖啡gaa3 fe1coffee
奶茶naai5 caa4milk teaHK-style!
酒zau2alcohol啤酒 = beer
肉juk6meat豬肉 pork / 牛肉 beef / 雞肉 chicken
菜coi3vegetables / dishes (cuisine)中國菜 Chinese food
蛋daan6egg
魚jyu2fish
生果saang1 gwo2fruitcolloquial for 水果
糖tong4sugar

Places & getting around (46–60)

CantoneseJyutpingEnglishNote
香港hoeng1 gong2Hong Kong
屋企uk1 kei2homecolloquial
酒店zau2 dim3hotel
餐廳caan1 teng1restaurant
茶餐廳caa4 caan1 teng1cha chaan teng (HK café)a must-know word!
街市gaai1 si5wet market
便利店bin6 lei6 dim3convenience store
商場soeng1 coeng4shopping mall
廁所ci3 so2toilet
機場gei1 coeng4airport
車站ce1 zaam6station / stop港鐵站 = MTR station
銀行ngan4 hong4bank
醫院ji1 jyun2hospital
學校hok6 haau6school
呢度ni1 dou6here嗰度 = there / 邊度 = where

Verbs (61–80)

CantoneseJyutpingEnglishNote
係hai6to be (identity)
喺hai2to be at / inlocation
有jau5to have / there is
食sik6to eat
飲jam2to drink
去heoi3to go
嚟lai4to come
走zau2to leave / to run
返faan1to return返屋企 = go home
睇tai2to look / watch / readTV, books — colloquial
聽teng1to listen / hear
講gong2to speak / say
叫giu3to call / be called / order我叫… = my name is…
瞓fan3to sleep
買maai5to buy
賣maai6to selltone differs from 買!
鍾意zung1 ji3to like
想soeng2to want to / think想要 = want (a thing)
識sik1to know how to / can識講 = can speak
幫bong1to help幫我 = help me

Adjectives & function words (81–100)

CantoneseJyutpingEnglishNote
好hou2good / very
大daai6big
細sai3small
多do1many / much
少siu2few / little
快faai3fast
慢maan6slow
熱jit6hot (weather/food)
凍dung3cold
貴gwai3expensive
平peng4cheap
靚leng3pretty / nice-lookingvery HK word!
唔m4not
冇mou5don't have / didn't
都dou1also / all我都鍾意 = I like it too
就zau6then / just / only就嚟 = about to
先sin1first (before doing)我食先 = I'll eat first
嘅ge3of / 's / modifier marker我嘅 = my
同tung4and / with我同你 = you and I
喺度hai2 dou6here / present佢喺度 = he's here

Mini practice

"Everyone" in Cantonese?

大家 (daai6 gaa1) — literally "big family". 大家好! = "hello everyone!"

Colloquial words for today/tomorrow/yesterday?

今日 (gam1 jat6) / 聽日 (ting1 jat6) / 尋日 (cam4 jat6). The written equivalents 今天/明天/昨天 are formal written Chinese.

買 vs 賣 — which is buy?

買 (maai5, tone 5) = buy; 賣 (maai6, tone 6) = sell. Same spelling in English letters — the tone carries the difference.

Where do you go for a cheap local meal in HK?

A 茶餐廳 (caa4 caan1 teng1) — the classic HK diner serving milk tea, toast, and rice plates.

鍾意 vs 想 — like vs want?

鍾意 (zung1 ji3) = "like" — 我鍾意你. 想 (soeng2) = "want to (do)" — 我想去. A person/thing you want: 想要.