Is Hong Kong Cantonese or Mandarin?

Is Hong Kong Cantonese or Mandarin?

Hong Kong’s recent census report states that Mandarin is the second language most spoken on the island following Cantonese. Cantonese remains dominant with 96% percent. As for Mandarin, 48% of Hong Kong’s population can speak it, compared to 46% of population that can speak English.

Is Hong Kong considered Cantonese?

The principal language of Hong Kong is standard Cantonese (, , , , , ), spoken by 88.9% of the population at home daily. As an official language, it is used in education, broadcasting, government administration, legislation and judiciary, as well as for daily communication.

What does Hong Kong mean in Cantonese?

Fragrant Harbour The name Hong Kong is actually a phonetic translation of the city’s Cantonese name (heung gong), which literally means Fragrant Harbour. … Hong and Kong are the words for fragrant harbour as pronounced by the Sui Seung Yan in their Cantonese accent.

Is Guangzhou Cantonese different from Hong Kong Cantonese?

Moreover, with the merging of high-falling and high level tones, there are six tones in Hong Kong Cantonese but seven in Guangzhou. In addition to the phonological difference, code-switching is a major difference which helps people to identify HK and GZ Cantonese speakers.

Is Cantonese dying?

According to these experts, Cantonese isn’t dying at all. For now. From a linguistic point of view, it’s not endangered at all. It’s doing quite well compared to other languages in the China region, said Mr Lau.

What is hello in Cantonese?

is hello with a Cantonese pronunciation. We use it to greet people casually, just like you would use hi in English. … (haa1 lo3nei5 hou2 aa3), meaning hello, is usually used when you want to greet someone that you aren’t close with in a friendly way. It’s a more formal Cantonese greeting.

Can you get by with English in Hong Kong?

Can a short term visitor expect to get by just by speaking English there? The prevalence of English in Hong Kong is actually surprisingly low, even though it is a former British colony, with just under half the population (46%) being able to speak English.

What is hello in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong. … Neih hou (pronounced nay-ho) is used to say hello in Hong Kong. The pronunciation of hou is something between ho and how. But realistically, saying a simple hello (same as in English but with a little more haaa-lo) is extremely common for informal situations!

What is the oldest Chinese language?

Written Language. The Chinese language is the oldest written language in the world with at least six thousand years of history. Chinese character inscriptions have been found in turtle shells dating back to the Shang dynasty¹ (1766-1123 BC) proving the written language has existed for more than 3,000 years.

What does 7 mean in Cantonese?

penis In Cantonese, 7 (Cantonese Yale: cht) sounds like (Cantonese Yale: chat), which is a vulgar way of saying penis.

Why do Hong Kongers speak Cantonese?

After the British acquired Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories from the Qing in 1841 (officially 1842) and 1898, large numbers of merchants and workers came to Hong Kong from the city of Canton, the main centre of Cantonese. Cantonese became the dominant spoken language in Hong Kong. The …

What does Hong Kong mean slang?

Fun language fact: a Korean slang phrase for to orgasm is to go to Hong Kong. If someone offers to send you to Hong Kong, it means they want to make you have an orgasm.

Can Cantonese speakers understand Mandarin?

However, the two languages are distinct when spoken. Mandarin speakers typically cannot understand Cantonese speakers, and vice versa.

Is Cantonese Traditional Chinese?

In Hong Kong, Cantonese is the predominant dialect while people write in Traditional Chinese. …

Target Market	Written	Spoken
China	Simplified	Mandarin
Hong Kong	Traditional	Cantonese
Taiwan	Traditional	Mandarin
Singapore	Simplified	Mandarin

Is Cantonese harder than Mandarin?

Mandarin is easier to learn Cantonese is seen to be more difficult because it has from 6 to 9 tones, each of which signify different things (while Mandarin only has 4 tones). In addition, because of its greater prevalence, it is easier to find Mandarin study materials than Cantonese study materials.

Is Cantonese dying in Hong Kong?

According to a student concern group, around 70 per cent of Hong Kong’s primary schools use Putonghua as the medium of instruction. … So the number of Putonghua speakers will continue to grow, and yes, Cantonese will die out eventually.

Why is Cantonese declining?

Decline of Cantonese in younger generations Despite having been approved for use in local television, Cantonese still faces restrictions and challenges in other aspects of social activities, which contributes to the decline of the language, particularly in the younger generations.

How do you say I don’t like in Cantonese?

Are you OK in Cantonese?

? en are you OK?

How do you say sorry in Cantonese?

The two most common Cantonese phrases for saying sorry are (deoi3 m4 zyu6) and (m4 ho2 ji3 si3). They’re applicable to a wide range of circumstances, so learning how to use them to say sorry in learning Cantonese is vital.

What is I love you in Cantonese?

Ngo5 Oi3 Nei5 (.) This is the common way to say I love you in Cantonese. Ngo5 Oi3 Nei5 () literally means I love you in English.

Can you live in Hong Kong without knowing Chinese?

You don’t need Cantonese or Mandarin to live and work in Hong Kong in most cases. … However, if you want to know the place you call home and interact with the people that share it with you, then you should learn Cantonese, at the very least. Perhaps focus on Mandarin if you go to the Mainland for business.

Do taxi drivers in Hong Kong speak English?

Do Taxi Drivers Speak English? In general, no. If you’re heading to a major landmark or destination, say Disneyland or Stanley, then drivers will generally understand, and some drivers understand English well. However, for the most part, they will only speak Cantonese.

What percent of Hong Kong speaks English?

4.3 percent This statistic shows a breakdown of the Hong Kong population by language, based on the latest available census data from 2016. Based on this data, around 4.3 percent of Hong Kong inhabitants were English speakers.

What is thank you in Cantonese?

Do1 Ze6 Do1 Ze6 () This basically means Thank You in Cantonese. This is the common and formal way of saying thanks.

What does NEIH Hou mean?

Nei hou,means ola / hello. Nei hou ma, =how are you / como esta?)

How do you introduce yourself in Cantonese?

Introduce Yourself In Cantonese

1. Start With a Greeting – Nei5 Ho2 ( ) …
2. Identify Yourself – Ngo5 Hai6 ___ ( __) …
3. Express Your Gratitude – Hou2 Gou1 Hing3 Jing6 Sik1 Nei5 () …
4. State Your Occupation – Ngo5 Hai6 ___ (___) …
5. Mention Your Age – Ngo5 Gum1 Nin2 ___Seoi3. …
6. Say Your Nationality – Ngo5 Lei4 Zi6 ___ (__)

What are the 3 Chinese languages?

Standard Chinese is the official language in mainland China, as well as in Taiwan, and is also known as Standard Mandarin or Modern Standard Mandarin. … Overview of Languages Spoken in China.

Rank	Languages in China
1	Standard Chinese (Mandarin)
2	Yue (Cantonese)
3	Wu (Shanghainese)
4	Minbei (Fuzhou)

Can Chinese read old Chinese?

So, in conclusion: people of Chinese descent outside of China can read Chinese throughout most of history; people of Chinese descent inside of China can’t read it as well unless they specifically study it; deciphering it gets harder and harder the older you get, until about 222 BC when it becomes nigh impossible …

What is the hardest language to learn?

Mandarin Mandarin As mentioned before, Mandarin is unanimously considered the toughest language to master in the world! Spoken by over a billion people in the world, the language can be extremely difficult for people whose native languages use the Latin writing system.