Learn how to say "good-bye"
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| 大家好(daai6 gaa1 hou2)! Hello and welcome to Cantonese Survival phrases brought to you by cantoneseclass101.com, my name is Nicole and I will be your language teacher and culture guide throughout this course. This course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to Hong Kong or anywhere else in the Cantonese world. You will be surprised at how far a little Cantonese will go. Now before we jump in, remember to stop by cantoneseclass101.com and there you will find the accompanying PDF and additional info in this post. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment. |
| Today we will introduce parting greetings. A parting expression that we can use for all occasions is 再見(zoi3 gin3) which literally means again see or see you again 再見(zoi3 gin3). Let’s hear it slowly 再 見(zoi3 gin3). Now this is again a two syllable word 再見(zoi3 gin3) and both of them are mid flat tones 再見(zoi3 gin3). Let’s break it down by syllable 再(zoi3) is again. 見( gin3) is to see, again see 再見(zoi3 gin3). That’s goodbye in Cantonese 再 見(zoi3 gin3). 再見(zoi3 gin3) in the other hand is more suitable for formal situation or if it is the first time you are meeting someone or if the person is an elderly or someone you look up to in many aspects like your boss, your classroom teacher, your senior et cetera, et cetera. So be careful not to use it so often between best friends as that would sound a bit too formal. Alternatively add a last suffix at the end, if you really want to use 再見(zoi3 gin3) between friends, you can say 再見喇(zoi3 gin3 laa6) |
| that makes it more colloquial and informal and casual 再見喇(zoi3 gin3 laa6), 再見喇(zoi3 gin3 laa6). |
| Now a more casual way to say goodbye in Cantonese would be 拜拜(baai1 baai3) attributed from English. You can see it’s exactly the same sound of the English word bye bye but with the different tones. The Cantonese way of saying bye bye is 拜拜(baai1 baai3). Now first high tone and then a little bit lower 拜拜(baai1 baai3), da da, 拜拜(baai1 baai3), da da, 拜拜(baai1 baai3). Now that’s the Cantonese way of saying it. It’s very common, I use it all the time. I say it at the end of every lesson, every episode. 拜拜(baai1 baai3). Try to imitate the tone, make the second bye longer and the tone lower, you will sound just like the locals. 拜拜(baai1 baai3), 拜拜(baai1 baai3) and there are also several phrases for saying, see you later. A more casual way of saying see you later or see you soon in Cantonese is 遲啲見(ci4 di1 gin3) which literally means later see 遲啲見(ci4 di1 gin3). Let’s break it down by syllable 遲 啲 見(ci4 di1 gin3). Let’s hear it once again 遲 啲 見(ci4 di1 gin3), 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3). 遲 (ci4) is the lowest tone. 啲 (di1) sounds exactly like the English letter D. 遲啲(ci4 di1), 遲啲(ci4 di1), 見(gin3) is a mid flat tone. 見(gin3), 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3) See you later. 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3). 遲(ci4) literally means late. 啲 (di1) is the suffix, er. 遲啲(ci4 di1) means later. 見(gin3) is to see as a 再見(zoi3 gin3), again see. 見(gin3), see. 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3) Later see, see you later 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3). Now let’s have a quick review of what we’ve just learned. Goodbye 再見(zoi3 gin3), goodbye 再見(zoi3 gin3). 再見喇(zoi3 gin3 laa6), Bye bye, 拜拜(baai1 baai3). Last but not least 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3), see you later. 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3), see you later. Okay to close out our lesson today, we’d like you to practice what you’ve just learned. I will provide you with the English translation and you are responsible for shouting it out loud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answers 加 油(gaa1 jau2)! The first word goodbye 再見(zoi3 gin3) and it is the Cantonese way of saying bye bye 拜拜(baai1 baai3). Last but not least, see you later 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3). All right, that’s about that’s it for today. Remember to stop by cantoneseclass101.com and pick up the PDF. It will help you with your studying. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a post, 拜拜(baai1 baai3) or 再見(zoi3 gin3) or 遲 啲見(ci4 di1 gin3) |
Comments
HideHi CantoneseClass101.com listeners! Now that we've learned to say goodbye, now is the perfect chance to practice everything we've learned so far. Anyone want to start the conversation with a hello?
Hello Jamie,
"details" in Cantonese is 詳細(coeng4 sai3).
Siuling
Team CantoneseClass101.com
CD keen! (See details later bye bye)
Hello Christiaan,
Thank you for your comment and advice as always. The example sentence usually just helps you to remember the usage of the Cantonese easier. We will make a note on it and your advice and opinion are always the great help for us to improve the lesson and teaching material. :smile:
Feel free to send us any other questions and we appreciate your help and advice again.
Siuling
Team CantoneseClass101.com
I found this sentence in word list:
很少人穿迷你裙穿得好看。
han2 siu2 jan4 cyun1 mai4 nei5 kwan4 cyun1 dak1 hou2 hon3
This sentence is purely nonsense and sound anti to those who
like wearing it ?
BTW: I wrote several issues and opinion / advice on lessons
problems.
When I later come back, message gone and no answers.
Hi Steven,
You can say 拜拜 instead of 再見 in Cantonese.
Siuling
Team CantoneseClass101.com
Hi baptiste,
Great to hear that you would like to start a conversation by using Chinese characters. :thumbsup: I use the Google Cantonese Input which is pretty easy to learn. This input system includes a lot of Cantonese slang which is very helpful even to the native Cantonese speaker. You can also switch to the handwriting tool when you cannot get the right character after several inputs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwp5TwYGsnw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Udr2XdxQKA
Siuling
Team CantoneseClass101.com
Hi,
I would like to start a conversation but i can't find how to type chinese characters with a french keyboard.
PS : i'm on mac.
Could u help me please ?
Hi Sylvia,
:D Let us know if you have any other questions! :wink:
Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com
WOW Awesome ~~I"ll start saving now (≧ω≦)
Hi Sylvia,
Thank you very much for your comments and kind words :smile:
We love Nicole too! We do have a voice recording feature in the Premium Plus account, with which the teachers can listen to your pronunciation and correct them if necessary. :wink:
Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com
Hi Nicole!!!! You may be the guide with a most beautiful English(try French or German guide)~~~
What a shame we can't comment with a voice message so you or others could correct our pronounciation..
Hi Vince Poulin,
Thanks for your comment! The numbers are indications for the tones.
Cantonese is a tone language, which means the same pronunciation has different meanings when it's said in different tones.
For more details please check out our Pronunciation series (link: https://www.cantoneseclass101.com/index.php?cat=24) :wink:
Feel free to ask if you have any other questions!
Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com
Nicole - another very good presentation. I asked this question before, but have not had a response. What do the numbers signify in the written words - zoi3 gin3 - in this case ---3 ---3. Is there an explaination somewhere on the site?
Hi 甄慧卿,
Although some people use 中意 (zung1 ji3) simply because it has less strokes, personally I prefer 鍾意 (zung1 ji3), Because the character 鍾 is related to emotions and affections.
For examples:
鍾意 (zung1 ji3) “to like; to be fond of”
鍾情 (zung1 cing4) “to concentrate love on one person; to be madly in love”
一見鍾情 (jat1 gin3 zung1 cing4) “love at first sight”
Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com
中意
Is this really “I like” in Cantonese? Because if the words were separated,
“中” would be middle
“意” would be meaning
So when you combine it could it still be I like, it sounds right when you say it in Cantonese but when it is written, I am confused.
Thank you, Zhaoyang and Olivia!
Your response was very helpful.
Ah, "change of situation". Thank you Olivia.
Hi Alto and Zhaoyang,
We're terribly sorry for the typo, yes 喇 should be "laa3", not "laa6".
It is one of the most common Cantonese final particles, indicating a change of situation.
For more info on Cantonese final particles, please check http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/essays/cantonese_particles.htm
Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com
Cantodict says: laa3 [final particle] now; right now; up till now; from now on.
CUHK (http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-can/) also says laa3.
I wouldn't stress the literal meaning. It just adds a shade of feeling, changing "Goodbye" to "Goodbye now". It sounds a little friendlier, right? It doesn't mean "Goodbye at this moment".
What does "laa6" literally mean in "zoi3 gin3 laa6 "?