Colours & Clothes — First Steps

What you will learn

Learn to name colours and describe clothing in Cantonese. This lesson covers colour vocabulary, common clothing items, and how to describe what someone is wearing — useful for shopping and daily conversation.

Name common colours in Cantonese
Identify clothing items and accessories
Describe what someone is wearing with 著住
Use colour + 色 pattern for colour names

Dialogue

Conversation

你今日著咩衫呀？好靚喎。

nei5 gam1 jat6 zoek3 me1 saam1 aa3? hou2 leng3 wo3.

What are you wearing today? It looks nice.

我著住件藍色裙，係噚日新買嘅。

ngo5 zoek3 zyu6 gin6 laam4 sik1 kwan4, hai6 cam4 jat6 san1 maai5 ge3.

Im wearing a blue dress, I bought it new yesterday.

藍色好襯你呀！喺邊度買㗎？

laam4 sik1 hou2 can3 nei5 aa3! hai2 bin1 dou6 maai5 gaa3?

Blue suits you! Where did you buy it?

旺角嗰間新開嘅舖頭，好多靚衫。

wong6 gok3 go2 gaan1 san1 hoi1 ge3 pou3 tau2, hou2 do1 leng3 saam1.

That new shop in Mong Kok, lots of nice clothes.

我都想買件新衫。你覺得紅色定白色好睇啲？

ngo5 dou1 soeng2 maai5 gin6 san1 saam1. nei5 gok3 dak1 hung4 sik1 ding6 baak6 sik1 hou2 tai2 di1?

I want to buy new clothes too. Do you think red or white looks better?

紅色啦！你著紅色一定好靚。

hung4 sik1 laa1! nei5 zoek3 hung4 sik1 jat1 ding6 hou2 leng3.

Red! You definitely look great in red.

咁對鞋呢？我對黑色波鞋舊咗。

gam2 deoi3 haai4 ne1? ngo5 deoi3 hak1 sik1 bo1 haai4 gau6 zo2.

What about shoes? My black sneakers are old.

白色波鞋百搭，乜衫都襯到。

baak6 sik1 bo1 haai4 baak3 daap3, mat1 saam1 dou1 can3 dou2.

White sneakers go with everything, they match any outfit.

好主意！聽日一齊去行街買嘢啦。

hou2 zyu2 ji3! ting1 jat6 jat1 cai4 heoi3 haang4 gaai1 maai5 je5 laa1.

Good idea! Lets go shopping together tomorrow.

好呀！記得帶多啲錢！

hou2 aa3! gei3 dak1 daai3 do1 di1 cin2!

Sure! Remember to bring lots of money!

Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

紅色

hung4 sik1

red

藍色

laam4 sik1

blue

白色

baak6 sik1

white

黑色

hak1 sik1

black

綠色

luk6 sik1

green

黃色

wong4 sik1

yellow

衫

saam1

clothes; shirt

裙

kwan4

skirt; dress

褲

fu3

trousers; pants

鞋

haai4

shoes

著

zoek3

to wear

襯

can3

to match; to suit

Grammar

Language Patterns

著住 + clothing (wearing)

Use 著住 (zoek3 zyu6) to describe what someone is currently wearing. 住 indicates the ongoing state of wearing. Use measure word 件 for tops/dresses and 條 for pants.

佢著住件白色T恤

keoi5 zoek3 zyu6 gin6 baak6 sik1 T seot1

He/she is wearing a white T-shirt

我著住對新鞋

ngo5 zoek3 zyu6 deoi3 san1 haai4

Im wearing new shoes

Colour + 色 (colour naming)

Most colours in Cantonese are formed by adding 色 (sik1) after the base colour word. This is the standard pattern for naming colours.

我鍾意粉紅色

ngo5 jung1 ji3 fan2 hung4 sik1

I like pink

呢件衫有冇綠色？

ni1 gin6 saam1 jau5 mou5 luk6 sik1?

Does this shirt come in green?

好 + Adj + 喎 (complimenting)

Use 好 + adjective + 喎 (wo3) to give a compliment or express pleasant surprise. 喎 adds a tone of admiration or discovery.

你件衫好靚喎

nei5 gin6 saam1 hou2 leng3 wo3

Your shirt is really nice!

呢對鞋好型喎

ni1 deoi3 haai4 hou2 jing4 wo3

These shoes are really cool!

Measure words for clothing

Different clothing items use different measure words: 件 (gin6) for tops and dresses, 條 (tiu4) for pants and skirts, 對 (deoi3) for shoes and socks, 頂 (deng2) for hats.

一件外套

jat1 gin6 ngoi6 tou3

one jacket

兩條褲

loeng5 tiu4 fu3

two pairs of trousers

Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1

佢___住件紅色衫。(wearing)

Answer

著

Translate · Question 2

Translate: Blue suits you.

Answer

藍色好襯你。

Fill_blank · Question 3

我要買一___裙。(measure word for dress)

Answer

件

Translate · Question 4

Translate: These shoes are really nice!

Answer

呢對鞋好靚喎！

Choice · Question 5

What colour is 黃色?

yellow
green
orange
brown

Answer

yellow

Finished this lesson?

←

Weather & Seasons

At the Doctor's

→