Learn about Cantonese honorifics
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: Does Cantonese have honorifics? |
| Siuling: And how do you speak politely in Cantonese? |
| Michael: At CantoneseClass101.com, we hear these questions often. In this scenario, Karen Lee goes to get a quick snack from a nearby coffee shop. She is greeted by the coffee shop clerk, Sheldon Shum. It’s the first time Karen has ever seen him. She asks, "May I ask, what's your name?" |
| 李麗莉: 請問貴姓？ (cing2 man6 gwai3 sing3?) |
| Dialogue |
| 李麗莉: 請問貴姓？ (cing2 man6 gwai3 sing3?) |
| 沈雪: 我姓沈。 (ngo5 sing3 sam2.) |
| 李麗莉: 沈先生，早晨。 (sam2 sin1 saang1, zou2 san4.) |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| 李麗莉: 請問貴姓？ (cing2 man6 gwai3 sing3?) |
| Michael: "May I ask, what's your name?" |
| 沈雪: 我姓沈。 (ngo5 sing3 sam2.) |
| Michael: "My surname is Shum." |
| 李麗莉: 沈先生，早晨。 (sam2 sin1 saang1, zou2 san4.) |
| Michael: “Good morning, Mr. Shum.” |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: About every language in the world has a set code used to show respect and acknowledge others' positions and Cantonese is no exception. These tools are often referred to as honorifics though the term can be understood in two ways. In the broader sense, honorifics may be used to denote any manner in which the speaker can show respect to the listener and acknowledge their status. However, in this lesson, we will treat honorifics in the narrow sense of the term, as a set of titles, suffixes, and prefixes used to convey respect for position or rank. So, how can we address people in Cantonese politely? |
| Siuling: The most common way is adding the prefix, 貴 (gwai3), |
| Michael: which we use when asking for someone’s surname, age, or simply referring to their company. |
| Siuling: For example, in the dialogue, we hear 貴姓？ (gwai3 sing3?) |
| Michael: This is a very polite way to ask someone “What’s your surname?” |
| In Chinese culture, we address others by their surname only in formal settings, so, as we learn about someone’s surname, we add the title behind it. |
| Siuling: 姓 (sing3) by itself means “surname” or “family name.” |
| Michael: Like in our dialogue, when Karen learned that Sheldon’s surname was Shum, she addressed him as |
| Siuling: 沈先生 (sam2 sin1 saang1), |
| Michael: “Mr. Shum.” |
| Siuling: Another example of the 貴 (gwai3) prefix is 貴庚 (gwai3 gang1). |
| Michael: It’s a formal way to ask someone “How old are you?” Usually, we use this for elders and people who have a big reputation or high level of authority. Let’s hear an example sentence. |
| Siuling: 嫲嫲，你今年貴庚呀? (maa4 maa4, nei5 gam1 nin2 gwai3 gang1 aa3?) |
| Michael: “Grandma, how old are you (this year)?” |
| And, finally, we hear this prefix in the following term a lot in the business setting, |
| Siuling: 貴公司 (gwai3 gung1 si1), |
| Michael: literally “honorable company,” but it means “your company.” Let’s hear an example sentence. |
| Siuling: 祝貴公司業績蒸蒸日上。(zuk1 gwai3 gung1 si1 jip6 zik1 zing1 zing1 jat6 soeng5.) |
| Michael: “I wish your company a prosperous performance.” |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after Siuling focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember how Karen says "May I ask, what's your name?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Siuling: 請問貴姓？ (cing2 man6 gwai3 sing3?) |
| Michael: Listen again and repeat. |
| Siuling: 請問貴姓？ (cing2 man6 gwai3 sing3?) |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Siuling: 請問貴姓？ (cing2 man6 gwai3 sing3?) |
| Michael: And do you remember how Sheldon says "My surname is Shum?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Siuling: 我姓沈。 (ngo5 sing3 sam2.) |
| Michael: Listen again and repeat. |
| Siuling: 我姓沈。 (ngo5 sing3 sam2.) |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Siuling: 我姓沈。 (ngo5 sing3 sam2.) |
| Cultural Expansion |
| Michael: When addressing another person’s family, especially of those of higher ranking, we have another prefix to show politeness, |
| Siuling: that prefix is 令 (ling6). |
| Michael: For example, “your father,” |
| Siuling: 令尊 (ling6 zyun1). |
| Michael: “Your mother,” |
| Siuling: 令堂 (ling6 tong2). |
| Michael: “Your son,” |
| Siuling: 令郎 (ling6 long2) |
| Michael: “Your daughter,” |
| Siuling: 令千金 (ling6 cin1 gam1) |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We’re here to answer them! |
| Siuling: 拜拜! (baai1 baai3!) |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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