CantoneseClass101.com Blog

Everybody makes mistakes. And yes, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll make mistakes while learning a new language, especially one as difficult as Cantonese!  Making mistakes is no big deal—as you come closer to fluency in a language, you’ll have the time to figure out what mistakes you’re still making and how to address them. And that’s exactly what this guide is about. In this article, we’ll list the most common Cantonese mistakes people make when learning  the language, covering a wide range of categories from pronunciation to word order. By the end of this article, you should be able to spot many mistakes, some of which are very easy to fix! Table of Contents Pronunciation Mistakes Vocabulary Word Mistakes Word Order... 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

Adverbs are vital in any language—they help the audience picture how something is done. Fancy learning some Cantonese adverbs but don’t know where to go? Let CantoneseClass101.com give you a helping hand! Below, we’ve listed 100 of the most common Cantonese adverbs. Note that both written and spoken example sentences or phrases will be provided throughout the article. We’ve used symbols to help you identify which one is written (w), spoken (s), or applicable to both (ws). Table of Contents What is an Adverb? Adverbs of Time Adverbs of Frequency Adverbs of Place Adverbs of Manner Adverbs of Degree Adverbs for Connecting Thoughts How to Use Adverbs in a Sentence How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese 1.... 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

Isn’t there something so happy and light about Valentine’s Day (or your country’s equivalent)? Whether you spend it each year with your lifelong partner, a new lover, or by yourself, there’s something to be enjoyed and admired in this holiday.  But have you ever stopped to wonder why so many cultures have a special day for romance and lovers?  In Hong Kong and Mainland China, this holiday is the Qixi Festival (though Hong Kong celebrates Western Valentine’s Day, too!).  So what does the Chinese Qixi Festival look like? Why is it celebrated, and how? Let’s find out together. 1. What is the Qixi Festival? The Chinese Qixi Festival (also called the Seven Sisters Festival or Chinese Valentine’s Day), is a... Show more

Word order refers to the order in which words are structured to form a sentence. One example is the "Subject + Verb + Object" pattern in English. One can not speak, read, or write properly without knowing how to put sentences together.  That’s why we’ve decided to introduce you to Cantonese word order and grammar. Let CantoneseClass101.com be your guide to mastering Cantonese! Table of Contents Cantonese Word Order Overview Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb, and Object Word Order with Prepositional Phrases Word Order with Modifiers How to Form a Negative Sentence Bonus: Translation Exercises Conclusion: How CantoneseClass101.com Can Help You Learn More Cantonese 1. Cantonese Word Order Overview ... Show more