If you’re just starting to learn Cantonese, memorising some common Cantonese phrases for beginners is the fastest way to feel confident in real-life situations. In this post, you’ll learn 100 practical phrases that locals actually use every day in Hong Kong.
100 Common Cantonese Phrases for Beginners
1. Basic Greetings (1–10)
These are the first common Cantonese phrases for beginners you should know.
- 你好
nei5 hou2
Hello - 早晨
zou2 san4
Good morning - 晚安
maan5 on1
Good night - 你好嗎？
nei5 hou2 maa3?
How are you? - 我幾好
ngo5 gei2 hou2
I’m pretty good - 再見
zoi3 gin3
Goodbye - 一陣見
jat1 zan6 gin3
See you later - 好耐冇見
hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3
Long time no see - 你好耐冇見啦
nei5 hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3 laa1
Haven’t seen you in ages - 點呀？
dim2 aa3?
What’s up?
2. Polite Words (11–20)
Politeness is essential in Cantonese culture.
- 唔該
m4 goi1
Please / Thanks (for services) - 多謝
do1 ze6
Thank you (for gifts) - 唔好意思
m4 hou2 ji3 si1
Sorry / Excuse me - 對唔住
deoi3 m4 zyu6
I’m sorry - 唔使
m4 sai2
No need - 唔客氣
m4 haak3 hei3
You’re welcome - 麻煩你
maa4 faan4 nei5
Sorry to bother you - 可唔可以？
ho2 m4 ho2 ji5?
May I? - 得唔得？
dak1 m4 dak1?
Is it okay? - 冇問題
mou5 man6 tai4
No problem
3. Yes / No & Basics (21–30)
- 係
hai6
Yes - 唔係
m4 hai6
No - 好
hou2
Okay / Good - 唔好
m4 hou2
Not good / Don’t - 知
zi1
Know - 唔知
m4 zi1
Don’t know - 明
ming4
Understand - 唔明
m4 ming4
Don’t understand - 得
dak1
Can / Okay - 唔得
m4 dak1
Can’t
4. Everyday Conversation (31–40)
- 你叫咩名？
nei5 giu3 me1 meng2?
What’s your name? - 我叫⋯⋯
ngo5 giu3…
My name is… - 你係邊個？
nei5 hai6 bin1 go3?
Who are you? - 我係學生
ngo5 hai6 hok6 saang1
I’m a student - 你做緊咩？
nei5 zou6 gan2 me1?
What are you doing? - 冇嘢做
mou5 je5 zou6
Nothing much - 真係呀？
zan1 hai6 aa3?
Really? - 係咩？
hai6 me1?
Is that so? - 當然
dong1 jin4
Of course - 可能啦
ho2 nang4 laa1
Maybe
5. Eating & Drinking (41–50)
- 食咗飯未？
sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6?
Have you eaten? - 食咗啦
sik6 zo2 laa1
I’ve eaten - 未食
mei6 sik6
Not yet - 我好肚餓
ngo5 hou2 tou5 ngo6
I’m very hungry - 我好飽
ngo5 hou2 baau2
I’m full - 好好食
hou2 hou2 sik6
Very tasty - 唔好食
m4 hou2 sik6
Not tasty - 要呢個
jiu3 ni1 go3
I want this - 唔要
m4 jiu3
Don’t want - 埋單
maai4 daan1
Check, please
6. Shopping (51–60)
- 幾錢？
gei2 cin2?
How much? - 好貴
hou2 gwai3
Very expensive - 平啲得唔得？
peng4 di1 dak1 m4 dak1?
Can it be cheaper? - 太貴啦
taai3 gwai3 laa1
Too expensive - 我要呢個
ngo5 jiu3 ni1 go3
I want this one - 有冇細碼？
jau5 mou5 sai3 maa5?
Do you have a smaller size? - 有冇大碼？
jau5 mou5 daai6 maa5?
Do you have a bigger size? - 試吓得唔得？
si3 haa5 dak1 m4 dak1?
Can I try it? - 唔啱
m4 ngaam1
Not suitable - 啱晒
ngaam1 saai3
Perfect fit
7. Directions & Travel (61–70)
- 廁所喺邊？
ci3 so2 hai6 bin1?
Where’s the toilet? - 地鐵站喺邊？
dei6 tit3 zaam6 hai6 bin1?
Where’s the MTR station? - 行點去？
haang4 dim2 heoi3?
How do I get there? - 好近
hou2 gan6
Very close - 好遠
hou2 jyun5
Very far - 左邊
zo2 bin1
Left - 右邊
jau6 bin1
Right - 前面
cin4 min6
In front - 後面
hau6 min6
Behind - 到咗啦
dou3 zo2 laa1
We’ve arrived
8. Feelings & Opinions (71–80)
- 好開心
hou2 hoi1 sam1
Very happy - 好攰
hou2 gui6
Very tired - 好悶
hou2 mun6
Very bored - 好緊張
hou2 gan2 zoeng1
Very nervous - 好驚
hou2 geng1
Very scared - 好鍾意
hou2 zung1 ji3
Really like - 唔鍾意
m4 zung1 ji3
Don’t like - 冇所謂
mou5 so2 wai6
Don’t mind - 我覺得⋯⋯
ngo5 gok3 dak1…
I think… - 你覺得呢？
nei5 gok3 dak1 ne1?
What do you think?
9. Phone & Messages (81–90)
- 你得唔得閒？
nei5 dak1 m4 dak1 haan4?
Are you free? - 得閒
dak1 haan4
Free - 唔得閒
m4 dak1 haan4
Busy - 遲啲再講
ci4 di1 zoi3 gong2
Talk later - 等一陣
dang2 jat1 zan6
Wait a moment - 你打畀我
nei5 daa2 bei2 ngo5
Call me - 我打畀你
ngo5 daa2 bei2 nei5
I’ll call you - 收到
sau1 dou3
Got it - 冇收到
mou5 sau1 dou3
Didn’t receive it - 睇到啦
tai2 dou3 laa1
Seen it
10. Ending Conversations (91–100)
- 我要走啦
ngo5 jiu3 zau2 laa1
I have to go - 拜拜
baai1 baai3
Bye-bye - 下次再見
haa6 ci3 zoi3 gin3
See you next time - 小心啲
siu2 sam1 di1
Take care - 慢慢行
maan6 maan6 haang4
Walk carefully - 記住啦
gei3 zyu6 laa1
Remember! - 唔好遲到
m4 hou2 ci4 dou3
Don’t be late - 加油
gaa1 jau4
Keep it up - 再傾
zoi3 king1
Chat again later - 一路順風
jat1 lou6 seon6 fung1
Have a safe trip
If you want to start learning Cantonese the easy way, check out our Cantonese ebooks.
