Courses › First Steps › Hello & Goodbye
A1 · Lesson 1

Hello & Goodbye

你好再見
What you will learn

Learn essential Cantonese greetings and farewells for everyday situations.

Dialogue

Conversation

A
你好！
Hello!
B
你好！你叫咩名呀？
Hello! What is your name?
A
我叫明華。你呢？
My name is Ming Wah. And you?
B
我叫家欣。好高興認識你！
Nice to meet you!
A
我都好高興認識你。你好嗎？
Nice to meet you too. How are you?
B
我好好，多謝。你想飲咩？
Great, thanks. What would you like to drink?
A
我想要一杯奶茶，唔該。
A milk tea, please.
B
好呀！我都要奶茶。
Great! Milk tea for me too.
A
我要走喇。拜拜！
I have to go. Bye bye!
B
拜拜！下次見！
Bye bye! See you next time!
Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

你好
hello
叫
to be called
名
name
我
I / me
你
you
好
good / very
多謝
thank you
唔該
please / excuse me / thanks
拜拜
bye bye
再見
goodbye
呢
and you? / what about?
嗎
question particle
Grammar

Language Patterns

Stating your name: 我叫 + name

To introduce yourself, use 我叫 (ngo5 giu3) followed by your name. There is no equivalent of my name is — you simply say I called [name].
我叫明華。
ngo5 giu3 ming4 waa4.
My name is Ming Wah.
佢叫家欣。
keoi5 giu3 gaa1 jan1.
Her name is Ka Yan.

Asking a name: 你叫咩名呀？

Use 咩名 (me1 meng2) meaning what name with the particle 呀 (aa3) to soften the question.
你叫咩名呀？
nei5 giu3 me1 meng2 aa3?
What is your name?
佢叫咩名？
keoi5 giu3 me1 meng2?
What is their name?

The redirect particle 呢 (ne1)

Add 呢 at the end of a noun or pronoun to redirect the same question back: And what about...?
我好好。你呢？
ngo5 hou2 hou2. nei5 ne1?
I am great. And you?
我飲咖啡。你呢？
ngo5 jam2 gaa3 fe1. nei5 ne1?
I drink coffee. And you?

Yes/no questions with 嗎 (maa3)

Add 嗎 to the end of a statement to turn it into a yes/no question.
你好嗎？
nei5 hou2 maa3?
How are you?
你係學生嗎？
nei5 hai6 hok6 saang1 maa3?
Are you a student?
Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Translate · Question 1
How do you say Hello in Cantonese?
Answer
你好 (nei5 hou2)
Translate · Question 2
How do you say My name is [your name]?
Answer
我叫 [name] (ngo5 giu3 [name])
Fill_blank · Question 3
你叫 ___ 名呀？ (What is your name?)
Answer
咩 (me1)
Choose · Question 4
Which phrase means thank you when receiving a gift?
  • 唔該
  • 多謝
  • 再見
  • 你好
Answer
多謝 (do1 ze6)
Translate · Question 5
Translate: 拜拜！下次見！
Answer
Bye bye! See you next time!

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