Cantonese Gender
Welcome to the fifth Cantonese lesson about gender. This time we will view a list of people, feminine and masculine, followed by grammar rules, finally a list of expressions in Cantonese to help you practice your daily phrases. To hear the pronunciation, just click on the sound icon.
man  男人 [naam4 jan4] | woman 女人 [jyu5 jan4] | husband 丈夫 [zoeng6 fu1] | wife 妻子 [cai1 zi2] |
boy 男孩 [naam4 haai4] | girl 女孩 [jyu5 haai4] | father 爸爸 [baa1 baa1] | mother 媽媽 [maa1 maa1] |
Gender Grammar Rules
In general, gender is used to distinguish between male and female, sometimes referred to as masculine and feminine. For example: my son and daughter are students the noun [son] is masculine, while [daughter] is feminine. The following examples use gender in different ways and places to demonstrate their behavior.
| Grammar + Rules | Cantonese + Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| my son is a student [masculine + noun] | 我的兒子是個學生 [ngo5 di1 ji4 zi2 si6 go3 hok6 saang1] |
| her daughter is a student [feminine + noun] | 我的女兒是個學生 [ngo5 di1 jyu5 ji4 si6 go3 hok6 saang1] |
| he has a tall brother [adjective + masculine] | 他有一個很高的哥哥/弟弟 [taa1 jau5 jat1 go3 han2 gou1 di1 go1 go1 dai6 dai6] |
| she has a tall sister [adjective + feminine] | 她有一個很高的姊姊/妹妹 [ji1 jau5 jat1 go3 han2 gou1 di1 ze2 ze2 mui6 mui6] |
| his brothers are young [plural masculine + adjective] | 他的兄弟很年青 [taa1 di1 hing1 dai6 han2 nin4 ceng1] |
| his sisters are young [plural feminine + adjective] | 他的姊妹很年青 [taa1 di1 ze2 mui6 han2 nin4 ceng1] |
The list below will probably provide more clarification. These are family members (males and females). I think it would be wise to memorize them as part of your important vocabulary list.
son 兒子 [ji4 zi2] | daughter 女兒 [jyu5 ji4] | brother 兄弟 [hing1 dai6] | sister 姐姊妹 [ze2 mui6] |
grandfather 祖父, 外祖父 [zou2 fu2 ngoi6 zou2 fu2] | grandmother 祖母, 外祖母 [zou2 mou5 ngoi6 zou2 mou5] | child 孩子 [haai4 zi2] | children 孩子們 [haai4 zi2 mun4] |
Expressions in Cantonese
Now it's time to practice expressions used in daily conversations. If you're a beginner in learning Cantonese, then the phrases below are something you would want to know.
| English | Cantonese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| What do you mean? | 你是什麼意思? | [nei5 si6 sam6 maa1 ji3 si1] |
| I don't understand | 我不明白！ | [ngo5 bat1 ming4 baak6] |
| I don't know | 我不知道！ | [ngo5 bat1 zi1 dou3] |
| What is that called in Cantonese? | 那個用廣府(東)話怎麼說？ | [na6 go3 jung6 gwong2 fu2 dung1 waa2 zam2 maa1 jyut6] |
| What is this? | 這是什麼？ | [ze2 si6 sam6 maa1] |
| What does that word mean in English? | 那個字英文是什麼意思？ | [na6 go3 zi6 jing1 man4 si6 sam6 maa1 ji3 si1] |
| Sorry (if you made a mistake) | 對不起（一個錯誤） | [deoi3 bat1 hei2 jat1 go3 co3 ng6] |
I hope you enjoyed this lesson about the gender in Cantonese. If you have any question about this lesson please contact me here. Now it's time to check the next lesson below.
| Cantonese Numbers |
Inspirational Quote: High achievement always takes place in a framework of high expectation. Jack Kinder |