Instant! Cantonese. Nick Ph.D. Theobald

has no phonetic next of kin in English. Soong is a combination of the vowel sounds in ooze and the u sound of sung.

      (Next, you may need to ask one of the following)

      Saturday?

      Lay-by look?

      Sunday?

      Lay-by yart?

      Morning?

      Serng jow?

      Afternoon?

      Ha jow?

      Can you deliver today?

      Gum-yart soong for duck-mm-duck?

      Are you open tomorrow?

      Ting-yart hoy-mm-hoy moon?

      What time do you open?

      Gay deem hoy moon?

      What time do you close?

      Gay deem sarn moon?

      Can you order me one?

      Bong or or-dah duck-mm-duck?

      When can I have it?

      Gay see yow duck law?

      I want my money back!

      Bay farn cheen or!

      Can I pay by credit card?

      Look card duck-mm-duck?

      At the Restaurant

      Excuse me, this isn’t cooked.

      Mm-goy, lay dee soong may sook.

      Do you have an English menu please?

      Yow mo ying-man charn pie mm-goy?

      That looks good, I’ll have that.

      Bay dee gore dee or mm-goy.

      What do you recommend?

      Yow mutt yeah ho sick?

      Can I have the bill please?

      My darn mm-goy?

      Can I have a receipt please?

      Bay darn or mm-goy.

      We are vegetarians.

      Or day sick so.

      Can we have a non-smoking table?

      Yow mo fay cup ying coy-ee mm-goy?

      Where’s the toilet please?

      Chee-saw high been dough mm-goy?

      I’ll have that (point to the dish you’re referring to) but with no meat.

      Gore dee (point now) mm-yew yook mm-goy.

      A cup of water please.

      Mm-goy nay bay boo-ee soy or.

      Can we smoke?

      Hor-mm-hor yee sick yin?

      Doggie bag please.

      Bong or bow hay coy-ee.

      Beef fried noodles.

      Yart gore ngow yok chow mean.

      Beef & rice.

      Yart gore ngow yok farn.

      Chicken noodle soup.

      Yart gore guy-ee tong mean.

      Chicken and rice.

      Yart gore guy-ee farn.

      Chicken fried noodles.

      Yart gore guy-ee chow mean.

      Pork noodle soup please.

      Mm-goy yart gore jew yok tong mean.

      Pork and rice.

      Yart gore jew yok farn.

      Vegetables and rice.

      Yart gore choy farn.

      Vegetables and noodle soup.

      Yart gore choy tong mean.

      Vegetables and stir fried noodles.

      Yart gore choy chow mean.

      (Literally, the yart gore above means “one of these dishes.”)

      Got any fish today?

      Gum-yart, yow mo yew?

      I’m full.

      Sick bow.

      No MSG thanks.

      Mm-yew may jing.

      (Mm-yew should really be Mm-yee-oo but Mm-yew will do.)

      No chillies.

      Mm-yew lart.

      More chillies.

      Door dee lart.

      Some water please.

      Soy mm-goy.

      (Soy should really be Soy-ee but Soy will do.)

      And, when you hear the nice waiter or waitress say “Bay cheen” - it’s time to pay up!

      At the Western Doctor

      I feel dizzy.

      Or tow one. (tow as in towel)

      I’ve got the shits.

      Or toe sair.

      I have a pain here.

      Or lido ho tung.

      I have a fever.

      Or far(t) gun see-you.

      I’ve got the flu.

      Or gum-mo.

      I have a headache.

      Or tow tung.

      I have a sore throat.

      Or how loong tung.

      My baby’s coughing all the time.

      Or gore sigh-lo sang yart cut.

      My baby’s crying all the time.

      Or gore sigh-lo sang yart harm.

      At the Airport

      I’ve lost my bag.

      Or mm-geen jaw or gair doy-ee.

      I’ve lost my luggage.

      Or mm-geen jaw or gair hung lay.

      Hopefully, you will then hear some good Samaritan in a uniform of sorts say…

      Mutt yeah sick? (What colour?)

      Where are the taxis?

      Mm-goy, been doe yow dixie darb-ah?

      Taxis

      Follow that cab.

      Gun gore gar dixie.

      Can I smoke?

      Sick-mm-sick duck yee aah?

      Got any music?

      Hoy dee yum lock tang ha?

      (If your hard-working and generally underpaid Hong Kong cabbie can’t understand you, he will say: May-ah? i.e.: What’s that?)

      Faster please.

      Fie dee mm-goy.

      Slow down please.

      Marn dee mm-goy.

      Stop here.

      Lee-dough/Lido.

      Stop here thanks.

      Hi nee-dough ting mm-goy.

      (A flashier way of saying stop here.)

      Stop there thanks.

      High gore-dough ting mm-goy.

      Turn