Finally finished an involved language project with Jessica. I almost bit off more than I had energy to chew with this. In Cantonese, it’s not enough to jot down how a word sounds; you need to have the intonation burned into your brain. I looked all over the internet for the kind of Cantonese video I … Continue reading
I’m so happy to officially introduce Rico! He was kind enough to share this tongue twister he’s been trying to teach me.
And not some memorized, pre-fab joke. Anyone can do that.
Mandarin is easier (4 tones instead of 9), spoken by 10 times more people, but for me Cantonese wins because… um… I’m in Hong Kong. So guess what people are not speaking here: Mandarin. Everyone speaks English in HK, so I don’t need to know Canto for any practical reason. I’m just curious about things I overhear … Continue reading
I’m a believer in not having to pay for something you can get for free, and learning Cantonese is no different. Especially if you’re in Hong Kong! 1. Download this free podcast off itunes: Naked Cantonese. It’s awesome. (I have no idea why it’s called Naked Cantonese…) Cecilie is a Norwegian lady on a mission … Continue reading
Every morning I hear this as the elevator arrives at my floor at work.
I only like simple Chinese symbols. So not this one: It probably means “guy tripping another guy while trying to open an umbrella.” That’s what it looks like. Well forget that symbol! I hate it anyways. Check out this beauty: Guess what it means. Mouth. A simple square is a mouth! I love it. From … Continue reading
A Chinese symbol will mean different things depending on what it’s next to, but English works that way too. Continue reading
I’m serious. A Cantonese speaker and a Mandarin speaker both read the same Chinese. Continue reading
In Cantonese, what sounds like the N-word, is actually “this one” or “that one.”
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Ever since I’ve gotten to Hong Kong, I keep hearing the n-word! I’ve gotta find out what this means… Continue reading
O hi, Asia! 