Are you planning on studying or teaching in Hong Kong? Do you know the most common classroom phrases in Cantonese for students or teachers alike? Whether you’re about to join a university as a foreign student or to teach your native language as a teacher, you will have to learn how to communicate in the classroom. If you’re a student, not only will you need to learn how to address your teachers, but also to understand their instructions. And vice versa if you’re in the teacher’s shoes! You will also need to learn some basic vocabulary, such as school subjects, supplies, and infrastructure. In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know as a teacher or a student, from common phrases to vocabulary, instructions, and a list of... Show more

What’s your favorite animal? Do you have any pets?  Questions like these make great conversation starters. Animals are a topic of interest for many people, and we sure do love our pets! What better way to break the ice and get to know someone than by asking about their favorite furry, scaly, or feathery creatures? Fancy putting some Cantonese animal words in your pocket? In this article, you’ll learn many animal names in Cantonese for different categories: pets, farm animals, wild beasts, sea creatures, birds, and all sorts of tiny bugs. We’ll spice it up with some animal proverbs and the “Twelve Zodiac Animals” story. Read on! Table of Contents At Home (Pets) On the Farm (Farm Animals) In the Wild / Forest / Safari... Show more

Just imagine: You’re going out with a group of native Cantonese-speakers. This is the perfect opportunity to make friends and practice your Cantonese in a real-life situation! But how do you break the ice? What should you say if you run out of topics or if your Cantonese isn’t solid enough to fuel the conversation? The universal answer is: ask questions!  Among countless benefits, being able to ask questions in Cantonese will help you avoid awkward silences by keeping the conversation going. It will also make the other person feel like you want to know more about them and value their opinion, thus making you more likeable. Asking questions opens a world of new information and cultural insight! And one more perk: you don’t have to... Show more

Do you fancy studying or working abroad in Hong Kong, but don’t speak Cantonese as your first language? Or maybe you want to know how good your Cantonese is after months of hard work? No worries, we’ve got you covered!  Today on CantoneseClass101.com, we’ll be providing you with a summary of the most popular Cantonese language exams—so read on! Table of Contents Benefits of Taking a Cantonese Language Exam What Cantonese Language Exams are There? COPA (CUHK) ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Other Exams: GCSE Cantonese & HKDSE Chinese Bonus: Tips on Preparing for Your Cantonese Proficiency Exam How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese 1. Benefits of Taking a Cantonese Language Exam... Show more

Struggle to express yourself in Cantonese? No worries—we’ve got you covered! Today at CantoneseClass101.com, we’re covering the ten most basic and useful sentence patterns. Memorize these patterns, and you’ll be able to generate hundreds of natural sentences and converse with ease and confidence. Without further ado, let’s go through the ten most useful Cantonese sentence patterns together! Table of Contents Linking Two Nouns: A is B Using Adjectives to Describe: A is Expressing "Want" Expressing "Need" Expressing "Like" or "Love" Politely Asking Someone to Do Something Asking for Permission Asking for Information About Something Asking About Time Asking About Location or Position 1. Linking Two Nouns: A is B You can... Show more

Verbs are essential in a language—they describe actions or talk about something that happens. The more Cantonese verbs you know, the easier it will be for you to master the Cantonese language as a whole. Can’t wait to learn the most common Cantonese verbs? Check out our short guide to verbs in Cantonese below, study our Cantonese verbs list, and let CantoneseClass101.com give you a helping hand! Table of Contents Cantonese Verbs Overview Action Verbs Helping Verbs Linking Verbs Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese 1. Cantonese Verbs Overview Unlike many other languages around the globe, Cantonese verbs by themselves indicate no tense. Generally, the timing of a particular... Show more

Pronouns can help you better articulate and express your ideas by allowing you to avoid repeating the same nouns over and over again. There are various pronouns in English, such as personal pronouns like "he," "she," "it," "our," and "theirs"; demonstrative pronouns like "this" and "that"; and indefinite pronouns like "somebody" and "nowhere."  These pronouns are very useful when it comes to facilitating communication—think how clumsy it would sound to say "Peter really likes Peter’s own voice and Peter’s own appearance," and "Sharon and Sharon’s sister are looking for Sharon’s mother!"  Have you ever wondered what Cantonese pronouns there are? Are you curious to learn how you can use them to communicate your thoughts more... Show more

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with languages? Do you desire to learn or advance in Cantonese quickly and effectively? Then you need a Cantonese tutor. A common question that first-time language-learners ask is "Where do I begin?" The answer? Guidance. For native English-speakers who want to learn Asian languages, for example, timelines provided by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute can appear discouraging. However, defeating these odds is not unheard of. If you want to beat the odds yourself, one of the best learning options is a subscription to Premium PLUS from Innovative Language. As an active Premium PLUS member of JapanesePod101.com and KoreanClass101.com myself, I have an enjoyable experience learning at an... Show more

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... Show more

Nouns are vital in our everyday conversations. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to talk about people, objects, places, or ideas—or communicate effectively. The more Cantonese nouns you know, the easier it will be for you to master the Cantonese language. Can’t wait to learn the most common Cantonese nouns? Keep reading and let CantoneseClass101.com give you a hand! Note that we’ll provide both written and spoken example sentences or phrases throughout the article. This way, you can learn Cantonese nouns in both formats. We’ve used symbols to help you identify which ones are written (w), spoken (s), or applicable to both (ws). Okay. Now, let’s learn some nouns in Cantonese! Table of Contents Nouns for Appliances Nouns for... Show more