Being able to ask for and give directions is one of the practical skills you need to learn when studying a new language. And if you’re traveling to Hong Kong, learning Cantonese directions will surely help you better navigate the city!
What are you waiting for? Read on and learn Cantonese directions with us here at CantoneseClass101.com.
Table of Contents
- Directions on the Map
- Directions on the Road
- Landmarks
- Must-know Phrases for Asking for Directions
- Must-know Phrases for Giving Directions in Cantonese
- Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
1. Directions on the Map
Need to give someone a specific direction in Cantonese? Here are the compass directions for you:
- North: 北 (bak1)
- East: 東 (dung1)
- South: 南 (naam4)
- West: 西 (sai1)
- Northeast: 東北 (dung bak1)
- Southeast: 東南 (dung1 naam4)
- Northwest: 西北 (sai1 bak1)
- Southwest: 西南 (sai1 naam4)
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 你可唔可以喺地圖上指出嚟？
Romanization: nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 hai2 dei6 tou4 soeng6 zi2 ceot1 lei4
Meaning: Can you please point it out on the map?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 向東行
Romanization: hoeng3 dung1 hang4
Meaning: Walk eastward.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 郵局喺呢個鎮嘅北邊
Romanization: jau4 guk2 hai2 ni1 go3 zan3 ge3 bak1 bin1
Meaning: The post office is located in the west side of the town.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 4: 香港喺亞洲嘅東邊
Romanization: hoeng1 gong2 hai2 ngaa3 zau1 ge3 dung1 bin1
Meaning: Hong Kong is in east Asia.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 5: 元朗喺香港嘅西北邊
Romanization: jyun4 long5 hai2 hoeng1 gong2 ge3 sai1 bak1 bin1
Meaning: Yuen Long is situated in the northwest part of Hong Kong.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
2. Directions on the Road
- Up: 上 (soeng5/6)
- Down: 下 (haa6)
- Left: 左 (zo2)
- Right: 右 (jau6)
- Front: 前 (cin4)
- Back: 後 (hau6)
- Downhill: 落山 (lok6 saan1)
- Uphill: 上山 (soeng5 saan1)
- Middle: 中 (zung1)
- Outside: 外面 (ngoi6 min6)
- Opposite: 對面 (deoi3 min6)
- Beside / Next to: 隔籬 (gaak3 lei4)
- In front of: 前面 (cin4 min6)
- Behind: 後面 (hau6 min6)
Example Sentences
Example 1: 應該點去呢度？
Romanization: jing1 goi1 dim2 heoi3 ni1 dou6
Meaning: How should I get there?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example 2: 喺右邊
Romanization: hai2 jau6 bin1
Meaning: On the right side
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example 3: 郵局喺銀行嘅前面
Romanization: jau4 guk2 hai2 ngan4 hong4 ge3 cin4 min6
Meaning: The post office is in front of the bank.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example 4: 皇后像廣場喺地鐵站嘅隔籬
Romanization: wong4 hau6 zoeng6 gwong2 coeng4 hai2 dei6 tit3 zaam6 ge3 gaak3 lei4
Meaning: Statue Square is next to the MTR station.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Example 5: 警署喺學校嘅對面
Romanization: ging2 cyu5 hai2 hok6 haau6 ge3 deoi3 min6
Meaning: The police station is opposite the school.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
3. Landmarks
- Train station: 車站 (ce1 zaam6)
- Bank: 銀行 (ngan4 hong4)
- Hospital: 醫院 (ji1 jyun2)
- Garden: 花園 (faan1 jyun2)
- Police station: 警署 (ging2 cyu5)
- School: 學校 (hok6 haau6)
- Metro Station (MTR station in HK): 地鐵站 (dei6 tit3 zaam6)
- Airport: 機場 (gei1 coeng4)
- Hotel: 酒店 (zau2 dim3)
- Traffic light: 紅綠燈 (hung4 luk6 dang1)
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 應該點去車站？
Romanization: jing1 goi1 dim2 heoi3 ce1 zaam6
Meaning: How should I get to the train station?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 醫院喺花園嘅後面
Romanization: ji1 jyun2 hai2 faa1 jyun2 ge3 hau6 min6
Meaning: The hospital is at the back of the garden.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 過咗紅綠燈就會見到
Romanization: gwo3 zo2 hung4 luk6 dang1 zau6 wui5 gin3 dou2
Meaning: You will be able to see it after you have passed the traffic light.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 4: 機場好遠
Romanization: gei1 coeng4 hou2 jyun5
Meaning: The airport is far away.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 5: 酒店喺地鐵站嘅隔籬
Romanization: zau2 dim3 hai2 dei6 tit3 zaam6 ge3 gaak3 lei4
Meaning: The hotel is next to the MTR station.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
4. Must-know Phrases for Asking for Directions
When traveling in business, or just moving around the city, one of the most important skills is finding your way around. The magic word here is 邊度 (bin1 dou6), which essentially means “where.” To show you how to ask for directions in Cantonese, here are a couple of the most common sentence structures.
1 – Where is it?
The sentence structure to ask “where is it” is:
- Sentence: PLACE + 喺邊度？
- Meaning: Where is PLACE?
- Romanization: PLACE + hai2 bin1 dou6
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 會議室喺邊度？
Romanization: wui6 ji5 sat1 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: Where is the meeting room?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 洗手間喺邊度？
Romanization: sai2 sau2 gaan1 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: Where is the washroom?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 登記台喺邊度？
Romanization: dang1 gei3 toi4 hai2 bin1 dou6
Meaning: Where is the registration desk?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
2 – Where can I do something?
We rearrange the Cantonese words for “where is it” to ask for where we can do something. Note that we can also add 請問 (cing2 man6) to the front to be more polite:
- Sentence: 請問喺邊度 + ACTION ？
- Meaning: Excuse me, where can I ACTION?
- Romanization: cing2 man6 hai2 bin1 dou6 + ACTION
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 請問喺邊度泊車？
Romanization: cing2 man6 hai2 bin1 dou6 paak3 ce1
Meaning: Excuse me, where can I park my car?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 請問喺邊度登記？
Romanization: cing2 man6 hai2 bin1 dou6 dang1 gei3
Meaning: Excuse me, where can I register?
Format: Spoken Cantonese
5. Must-know Phrases for Giving Directions in Cantonese
Whether you need to give taxi directions in Cantonese or are trying to help someone out, here are some basic words and phrases you need to know.
1- Turn right / Turn left / Go straight
- Go straight: 直行 (zik6 haang4)
- Turn right: 轉右 (zyun3 jau6)
- Turn left: 轉左 (zyun3 zo2)
When we give directions, we usually use the form of “First……then….” In Cantonese, that’s 首先…….，然後…… (sau2 sin1……jin4 hau6 ..…..).
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 首先直行，然後轉左。
Romanization: sau2 sin1 zik6 haang4, jin4 hau6 zyun3 zo2
Meaning: First go straight, then turn left.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 首先轉左，然後轉右。
Romanization: sau2 sin1 zyun3 zo2, jin4 hau6 zyun3 jau6
Meaning: First turn left, then turn right.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 首先轉左，然後轉右，然後直行，然後再轉左。
Romanization: sau2 sin1 zyun3 zo2, jin4 hau6 zyun3 jau6, jin4 hau6 zik6 haang4, jin4 hau6 zoi3 zyun3 zo2
Meaning: First turn left, then turn right, then go straight, then turn left again.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
2 – It’s on the xth floor
- G/F: 地下 (dei6 haa2)
- 1/F: 一樓 (jat1 lau2)
- 2/F: 二樓 (ji6 lau2)
- 3/F: 三樓 (saam1 lau2)
- 4/F: 四樓 (sei3 lau2)
- 5/F: 五樓 (ng5 lau2)
- 6/F: 六樓 (luk6 lau2)
- 7/F: 七樓 (cat1 lau2)
- 8/F: 八樓 (baat3 lau2)
- 9/F 九樓 (gau2 lau2)
- 10/F: 十樓 (sap6 lau2)
- 11/F: 十一樓 (sap6 jat1 lau2)
- 12/F: 十二樓 (sap6 ji6 lau2)
- 13/F: 十三樓 (sap6 saam1 lau2)
- 14/F: 十四樓 (sap6 sei3 lau2)
- 15/F: 十五樓 (sap6 ng5 lau2)
- 16/F: 十六樓 (sap6 luk6 lau2)
- 17/F: 十七樓 (sap6 cat1 lau2)
- 18/F: 十八樓 (sap6 baat3 lau2)
- 19/F: 十九樓 (sap6 gau2 lau2)
- 20/F: 二十樓 (ji6 sap6 lau2)
- 21/F: 廿一樓 (jaa6 jat1 lau2)
- 22/F: 廿二樓 (jaa6 ji6 lau2)
We can give someone directions directly by saying which floor it’s on. For example, if the location is on the “tenth floor,” simply reply 十樓 (sap6 lau2). Note that in Hong Kong, we also have the “ground floor,” which is 地下 (dei6 haa2).
When we say that something is on a given floor, we use the preposition 喺 (hai2), followed by the floor:
- Sentence: SOMETHING + 喺 + FLOOR
- Meaning: SOMETHING is on FLOOR
- Romanization: SOMETHING + hai2 + FLOOR
Example Sentences
Sentence 1: 參展商嘅資料喺二樓。
Romanization: caam1 zin2 soeng1 ge3 zi1 liu2 hai2 ji6 lau2
Meaning: The information for exhibitors is on the second floor.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 2: 洗手間喺十九樓。
Romanization: sai2 sau2 gaan1 hai2 sap6 gau2 lau2
Meaning: The washroom is on the nineteenth floor.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
Sentence 3: 登記台喺地下。
Romanization: dang1 gei3 toi4 hai2 dei6 haa2
Meaning: The registration desk is on the ground floor.
Format: Spoken Cantonese
6. Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese
We hope you enjoyed learning about basic Cantonese directions with us! Let us know in the comments if you have any questions, or if there are any direction words or phrases you still want to know. We look forward to hearing from you.
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