Learn about loanwords in Cantonese
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: What are some common loanwords in Cantonese? |
| Siuling: And are any English words used differently in Cantonese? |
| Michael: At CantoneseClass101.com, we hear these questions often. |
| Ben Lee is eating out with a friend, Emma Eng. They are deciding what to eat. "I want a salad." |
| 李龍林: 我要個沙律。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saa1 leot2.) |
| Dialogue |
| 李龍林: 我要個沙律。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saa1 leot2.) |
| 吳艾瑪: 我要個三文治。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saam1 man4 zi6.) |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| 李龍林: 我要個沙律。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saa1 leot2.) |
| Michael: "I want a salad." |
| 吳艾瑪: 我要個三文治。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saam1 man4 zi6.) |
| Michael: "I want a sandwich." |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: Just like most languages, Cantonese has picked up many loanwords from around the world. This is often the case after great periods of immigration, emigration, or, nowadays, is often the result of globalized business, travel, and communication. |
| Michael: English speakers who are learning Cantonese for the first time will notice many English loanwords that now play a vital role in everyday Cantonese vocabulary. For instance, the two food nouns in our dialogue... |
| Siuling: 沙律 (saa1 leot2) |
| Michael: "salad"; and |
| Siuling: 三文治 (saam1 man4 zi6) |
| Michael: "sandwich." As you learn more about Cantonese, you will find more English loanwords, and most of them are nouns. Let's take the word for "T-shirt" in Cantonese, which is |
| Siuling: T恤 (T seot1) |
| Michael: or the word for "taxi" in Cantonese, which is |
| Siuling: 的士 (dik1 si2) |
| Michael: Another example is the word "boss," which is pronounced |
| Siuling: 波士 (bo1 si2) |
| Michael: and the word for "cheese," |
| Siuling: 芝士 (zi1 si2). |
| Michael: Learning loanwords like these early on in your study of Cantonese will help you boost your vocabulary quickly. It's also a great way to gain a deeper understanding early on of the Cantonese language, culture, and international influences over hundreds of years. |
| [Recall 1] |
| Michael: Let's take a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Ben Lee says "I want a salad"? |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Siuling: 我要個沙律。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saa1 leot2.) |
| [Recall 2] |
| Michael: Now let's take a look at our second sentence. |
| Do you remember how Emma Eng says "I want a sandwich"? |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Siuling: 我要個三文治。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saam1 man4 zi6.) |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review the sentences we've heard in this lesson. I'll say the sentence in English, and then I want you to try and reply in Cantonese. Siuling will then model the correct answer—listen to her carefully and repeat, with emphasis on your pronunciation. |
| Do you remember how Ben Lee says "I want a salad"? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Siuling: 我要個沙律。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saa1 leot2.) |
| Michael: Listen again and repeat. |
| Siuling: 我要個沙律。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saa1 leot2.) |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Siuling: 我要個沙律。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saa1 leot2.) |
| Michael: And do you remember how Emma Eng says "I want a sandwich"? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Siuling: 我要個三文治。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saam1 man4 zi6.) |
| Michael: Listen again and repeat. |
| Siuling: 我要個三文治。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saam1 man4 zi6.) |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Siuling: 我要個三文治。 (ngo5 jiu3 go3 saam1 man4 zi6.) |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: Other than loanwords, you might be surprised how Cantonese speakers use English terms in their daily conversations as well! |
| Siuling: Yes, for example, it's common to say words like "friend," "party," and "check" in English, instead of their Cantonese equivalents. |
| Michael: Can you give us a sample sentence? |
| Siuling: Of course! Let's say, "I'll go check when the party will take place." In colloquial Cantonese, it's 我去CHECK下個PARTY幾時開始。(ngo5 heoi3 check haa5 go3 party gei2 si4 hoi1 ci5.) |
| Michael: Interesting! |
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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