I should be learning the language, instead I spend too much time reading about the language. To be more specific, reading about how people learn languages and opinions on language study. I regularly surf various language forums throughout the day reading about how people become fluent and getting involved in various debates. At the end of the day, I can spend 4-5 hours reading about something I already knew or information that simply doesn’t improve my Cantonese. You can see that 140 hours per month is spent on meaningless discussions.

I followed a lengthy discussion on Chinesepod.com - Is Steve Kaufmann right? I read every comment, even checking Steve’s blog for any posts and comments. This consumed around 3 hours of my time, in which I gained nothing. This type of time wasting happens on a daily basis. For the last 4 days I had very limited Internet access being in Guangzhou for Chinese New Year with my wife’s family. I was able to learn a large amount of Cantonese and spent the majority of my time in “oral Cantonese” discussions. This time would have probably been spent reading/writing in English on language blogs/forums when in Hong Kong.

Even at this very moment typing this post, I am watching TVB, however, my brain remains in English because I’m typing in English. My thoughts are constructed in English while I write and read English. Its like an addiction, if I have a computer in front of me, I can’t help but check/participate/and debate on various language forums. As I can’t read no more than 40 Chinese characters, I am forced to browse using English as my Internet language.

Why not turn off the computer? I would learn faster if I didn’t have the Internet, however, the Cantonese Dictionary has become a vital component for my continual improvement. I need to know definitions in order to understand what I’m hearing, and so why I continue to use the Internet. You can’t simply just listen to new words and eventually work out the meaning that easily.

I’m sure many other people fall into the same trap. The intention is to learn the language, but instead you are spending the time reading posts about languages as is the case if you have read this post.

Download - 1:31min

Produced by: 馬太太
Transcribed by: 鄺慧明

今年嘅二月係農曆新年.
Gam1 nin4 ge3 ji6 jyut6 hai6 nung4 lik6 san1 nin4.
February this year is the Lunar New Year.

二月十八號係正月初一.
Ji6 jyut6 sap6 baat3 hou6 hai6 zing1 jyut6 co1 jat1.
18 February is the first day of the first month.

喺年廿八嗰一日, 即係新年兩到三日之前, 中國人會大掃除.
Hai2 nin4 jaa6 baat3 go2 jat1 jat6, zik1 hai6 san1 nin4 loeng5 dou3 saam1 jat6 zi1 cin4, zung1 gwok3 jan4 wui5 daai6 sou3 ceoi4.
On the 28th day (of the last month) of the (old) year, that is 2 to 3 days before the New Year, Chinese people will do spring cleaning.

即係要將屋企打掃乾淨迎接新年.
Zik1 hai6 jiu3 zoeng1 uk1 kei2 daa2 sou3 gon1 zing6 jing4 zip3 san1 nin4.
That is, (they) will sweep their houses clean to greet the New Year.

屋企周圍會貼上揮春.
Uk1 kei2 zau1 wai4 wui5 tip3 soeng6 fai1 ceon1.
There will be “fai ceon” pasted up around the house.

揮春係一張紅色嘅紙, 上便會寫住一啲吉利嘅字, 例如新年快樂, 身體健康, 等等.
Fai1 ceon1 hai6 jat1 zoeng1 hung4 sik1 ge3 zi2, soeng6 bin5 wui5 se2 zyu6 jat1 di1 gat1 lei6 ge3 zi6, lai6 jyu4 san1 nin4 faai3 lok6, san1 tai2 gin6 hong1, dang2 dang2.
A “fai ceon” is a sheet of red paper, on which some lucky words are written, for example “Happy New Year”, “Good health”, etc.

喺正月初一之前嗰晚, 即係年三十晚, 中國人會一齊食團年飯.
Hai2 zing1 jyut6 co1 jat1 zi1 cin4 go2 maan5, zik1 hai6 nin4 saam1 sap6 maan5, zung1 gwok3 jan4 wui5 jat1 cai4 sik6 tyun4 nin4 faan6.
On the night before the first day of the first month, that is that 30th night (of the last month) of the (old) year, Chinese people will eat a “reunion” meal together.

團年飯即係一家人一齊食飯, 希望大家一年平安.
Tyun4 nin4 faan6 zik1 hai6 jat1 gaa1 jan4 jat1 cai4 sik6 faan6, hei1 mong6 daai6 gaa1 jat1 nin4 ping4 on1.
A reunion meal is when a whole family eats a meal together, hoping everyone will have a peaceful year.

喺過年嘅時候中國人亦都會食年糕, 瓜子, 糖果等等.
Hai2 gwo3 nin4 ge3 si4 hau6 zung1 gwok3 jan4 jik6 dou1 wui5 sik6 nin4 gou1, gwaa1 zi2, tong4 gwo2 dang2 dang2.
When celebrating the New Year, Chinese people will also eat “New Year Cake”, melon seeds, candy etc.

除此之外, 親朋好友會互相拜年.
Ceoi4 ci2 zi1 ngoi6, can1 pang4 hou2 jau5 wui5 wu6 soeng1 baai3 nin4.
Apart from this, close friends and relatives will mutually pay New Year visits.

拜年就即係去人哋屋企, 恭喜人哋新年快樂.
Baai3 nin4 zau6 zik1 hai6 heoi3 jan4 dei6 uk1 kei2, gung1 hei2 jan4 dei6 san1 nin4 faai3 lok6.
Paying New Year’s visits is going to people’s homes, (and) congratulating (=wishing) people a Happy New Year.

結咗婚嘅長輩會畀利是未結婚嘅晚輩.
Git3 zo2 fan1 ge3 zoeng2 bui6 wui5 bei2 lai6 si6 mei6 git3 fan1 ge3 maan5 bui6.
Married elders will give lucky money in red envelopes to younger people who have not yet married.

而且, 喺以前政府未立例之前, 家家戶戶亦都會放炮仗, 但係而家已經禁止咗.
Ji4 ce2, hai2 ji5 cin4 zing3 fu2 mei6 lap6 lai6 zi1 cin4, gaa1 gaa1 wu6 wu6 jik6 dou1 wui5 fong3 paau3 zoeng3*2, daan6 hai6 ji4 gaa1 ji5 ging1 gam3 zi2 zo2.
Also, in the past, before the government passed legislation, every household would let off firecrackers, but now this has already been prohibited.

而且, 屋企亦都會有好多年花作為裝飾同埋應節, 例如桃花同埋桔等等.
Ji4 ce2, uk1 kei2 jik6 dou1 wui5 jau5 hou2 do1 nin4 faa1 zok3 wai6 zong1 sik1 tung4 maai4 jing3 zit3, lai6 jyu4 tou4 faa1 tung4 maai4 gat1 dang2 dang2.
Also, in the house there will also be a lot of ‘New Year flowers’ serving as decorations and to match the festival, for example peach flowers and mandarins, etc.

一般嚟講, 農曆新年到正月十五號為止.
Jat1 bun1 lei4 gong2, nung4 lik6 san1 nin4 dou3 zing1 jyut6 sap6 ng5 hou6 wai6 zi2.
Generally speaking, the Lunar New Year finishes on the 15th day of the first month.

Through daily contact with the HK Chinese I have built up a list of things that have irritated me.

Firstly, if you are a foreigner, most HK people that I have met believe that you must speak English to some degree of fluency being superior to their own. It doesn’t matter if you are from France, Spain, Italy, or the Philippines; all foreigners especially Caucasians have the ability to speak English. Now my face isn’t a Caucasian face being mixed blooded, but I recall telling several Chinese that I’m not an English speaker and to look carefully at my face, does it look like I come from England? (in Cantonese) They reply, “you are a foreigner, all foreigners speak English.” (in English) I simply give no reaction and continue in Cantonese. Remember I have not told them where I come from, nor have I spoken any English.

Today I was teaching the word “to co-operate” in my English class. I made a mistake and said 作合 zok3 hap6 instead of 合作 hap6 zok3, in which I immediately self-corrected my mistake and apologised. My students couldn’t stop laughing. I seriously didn’t think it was funny and I had to force the adult students to stop their childishness. I said, why is it funny that I accidentally make 1 measly mistake, but you are all able to make 200-300 mistakes when you speak to me in English? One response instantly made my blood boil and I had to try very hard to control myself, “We take English seriously, and as you are a foreigner, Cantonese is just for fun.”

Another time I told my students that I had spent 2000+ hours learning Cantonese, when one lady told me she could teach me Cantonese. So I asked her if she knew the tones and a Cantonese romanisation system. She told me she knew the tones and pinyin system from China. Turns out she is talking about Mandarin pinyin and couldn’t understand that Cantonese (a dialect) could be written differently to Mandarin (a language). Clearly wasting my time in this discussion, I wrote on the board “wo bu shi xiang gang ren” and asked her how that looked like “ngo5 m4 hai6 hoeng1 gong2 jan4″. Then I wrote sam1 gap1 (心急) and asked her how to pronounce it in Cantonese. Immediately she said sam (as in Samual) and gap (as in the English word gap). Then I got a complaint from her, “ah Cantonese pinyin is too hard and impossible”. She already decided that it was too hard after 20 seconds.

Many Hong Kong people think that Cantonese has no grammar. This statement has caused me to waste many hours re-educating people that every language has a set of grammar rules, and it is simply that you haven’t learnt it.

Lastly, I was in Yuen Long , and I went to a small shop to buy a drink. I asked the old man in Cantonese, “gei2 do1 cin2 aa3? (幾多錢呀?).” He says in English, “7 dollars”. I told him, “deoi3 m4 zyu6, ngo5 m4 sik1 gong2 jing1 man4 (對唔住, 我唔識講英文)”. On each attempt (4-5), I got “hah?”, he finally said in Cantonese “$7.50″. Then I exchanged a few unfriendly words and left.

Download - 1:09min

Produced by: 馬太太
Transcribed by: 鄺慧明

銀行服務包括存款戶口.
Ngan4 hong4 fuk6 mou6 baau1 kut3 cyun4 fun2 wu6 hau2.
Bank services include bank accounts.

存款戶口分為儲蓄戶口, 定期存款戶口同埋往來戶口.
Cyun4 fun2 wu6 hau2 fan1 wai6 cyu5 cuk1 wu6 hau2, ding6 kei4 cyun4 fun2 wu6 hau2 tung4 maai4 wong5 loi4 wu6 hau2.
Bank accounts are divided into savings accounts, (fixed) term deposit accounts, and current accounts.

儲蓄戶口可以處理日常嘅存錢, 攞錢, 轉帳嘅服務.
Cyu5 cuk1 wu6 hau2 ho2 ji5 cyu5 lei5 jat6 soeng4 ge3 cyun4 cin4*2, lo2 cin4*2, zyun2 zoeng3 ge3 fuk6 mou6.
Savings accounts allow management of everyday deposits, withdrawals and transfer services.

而戶口嘅結餘, 就可以賺取利息.
Ji4 wu6 hau2 ge3 git3 jyu4, zau6 ho2 ji5 zaan6 ceoi2 lei6 sik1.
When you have a (positive) bank balance, you can earn interest.

定期存款戶口就係需要存入一筆錢, 喺一段固定嘅時間之內呢, 都唔會拎出嚟嘅.
Ding6 kei4 cyun4 fun2 wu6 hau2 zau6 hai6 seoi1 jiu3 cyun4 jap6 jat1 bat1 cin4*2, hai2 jat1 dyun6 gu3 ding6 ge3 si4 gaan3 zi1 noi6 ne1, dou1 m4 wui5 ling1 ceot1 lei4 ge3.
(Fixed) term deposit accounts require you to deposit an amount of money, (and) within a certain period of time, you cannot take it out.

噉就可以賺到更高嘅利息作為回報.
Gam2 zau6 ho2 ji5 zaan6 dou3 gang3 gou1 ge3 lei6 sik1 zok3 wai6 wui5 bou3.
In this way, you can earn higher interest as a reward.

往來戶口就可以簽發支票支付日常各項賬務.
Wong5 loi4 wu6 hau2 zau6 ho2 ji5 cim1 faat3 zi1 piu3 zi1 fu6 jat6 soeng4 gok3 hong6 zoeng3 mou6.
Current accounts allow you to sign and issue cheques to pay each everyday account.

銀行服務重包括樓宇按揭.
Ngan4 hong4 fuk6 mou6 zung6 baau1 kut3 lau4 jyu5 on3 kit3.
Bank services also include building mortgages.

樓宇按揭就即係買樓嘅貸款.
Lau4 jyu5 on3 kit3 zau6 zik1 hai6 maai5 lau4*2 ge3 taai3 fun2.
Building mortgages are loans for buying buildings.

另一個服務係私人貸款.
Ling6 jat1 go3 fuk6 mou6 hai6 si1 jan4 taai3 fun2.
Another service is (providing) personal loans.

例如你想買車, 旅遊, 裝修屋企, 升學, 或者係營商投資.
Lai4 jyu4 nei5 soeng2 maai5 ce1, leoi5 jau4, zong1 sau1 uk1 kei2, sing1 hok6, waak6 ze2 hai6 jing4 soeng1 tau4 zi1.
For example, if you want to buy a car, travel, renovate your home, further your education or for business investments.

呢啲都係屬於私人貸款嘅項目.
Ni1 di1 dou1 hai6 suk6 jyu1 si1 jan4 taai3 fun2 ge3 hong6 muk6.
These all belong to the item of personal loans.

其他嘅銀行服務重包括保險, 投資, 信用卡同埋理財等等.
Kei4 taa1 ge3 ngan4 hong4 fuk6 mou6 zung6 baau1 kut3 bou2 him2, tau4 zi1, soen3 jung6 kaat1 tung4 maai4 lei5 coi4 dang2 dang2.
Other bank services include insurance, investment, credit cards and financing etc.

Download - 0:55min

Produced by: 馬太太
Transcribed by: 鄺慧明

我喺香港郵政入便工作.
Ngo5 hai2 hoeng1 gong2 jau4 zing3 jap6 bin6 gung1 zok3.
I work at Hong Kong Post.

我嘅職位係客戶服務員.
Ngo5 ge3 zik1 wai6 hai6 haak3 wu6 fuk6 mou6 jyun4.
My position is client service officer.

我嘅主要職責包括提供繳費服務.
Ngo5 ge3 zyu2 jiu3 zik1 zaak3 baau1 kut3 tai4 gung1 giu2 fai3 fuk6 mou6.
My main responsibilities include providing bill payment service.

例如市民可以喺郵局繳交水費, 電費, 煤氣費, 差餉等等嘅帳單.
Lai4 jyu4 si5 man4 ho2 ji5 hai2 jau4 guk6*2 giu2 gaau1 seoi2 fai3, din6 fai3, mui4 hei3 fai3, caai1 hoeng2 dang2 dang2 ge3 zoeng3 daan1.
For example, (local) residents can pay their water bills, electricity bills, gas bills, land rates (tax) etc at the post office.

另外一個職責係銷售郵票及郵品.
Ling6 ngoi6 jat1 go3 zik1 zaak3 hai6 siu1 sau6 jau4 piu3 kap6 jau4 ban2.
Another responsibility is selling stamps and other postal items.

例如小全張, 首日封等等.
Lai4 jyu4 siu2 cyun4 zoeng1, sau2 jat6 fung1 dang2 dang2.
For example Souvenir Sheets, First Day Covers etc.

再另一個職責係協助投寄或交收郵件.
Zoi3 ling6 jat1 go3 zik1 zaak3 hai6 hip6 zo6 tau4 gei3 waak6 gaau1 sau1 jau4 gin3.
Yet another responsibility is assisting with posting or delivering and receiving mail.

例如寄去本地或者海外嘅信件同埋郵包.
Lai4 jyu4 gei3 heoi3 bun2 dei6 waak6 ze2 hoi2 ngoi6 ge3 soen3 gin3 tung4 maai4 jau4 baau1.
For example sending letters and packages/parcels locally or overseas.

又或者特快速遞嘅服務.
Jau6 waak6 ze2 dak6 faai3 cuk1 dai6 ge3 fuk6 mou6.
Or in addition, (providing) express post service.

郵局嘅辦公時間係閒日朝九晚五, 星期六半晝, 星期日唔辦公.
Jau4 guk6*2 ge3 baan6 gung1 si4 gaan3 hai6 haan4 jat6 ziu1 gau2 maan5 ng5, sing1 kei4 luk6 bun3 zau3, sing1 kei4 jat6 m4 baan6 gung1.
The post office’s office hours are weekdays 9am – 5pm, half day on Saturdays, and not open on Sundays.

Download - 1:07min

我上個星期去咗一間保險公司度見工.
Ngo5 soeng6 go3 sing1 kei4 heoi3 zo2 jat1 gaan1 bou2 him2 gung1 si1 dou6 gin3 gung1.
Last week I went to an insurance company for a job interview.

招聘廣告個職位叫做保險顧問.
Ziu1 ping3 gwong2 gou3 go3 zik1 wai6 giu3 zou6 bou2 him2 gu3 man6.
The job in the recruitment advertisement was called ‘insurance adviser’.

去度我先知道原來即係保險經紀.
Heoi3 dou6 ngo5 sin1 zi1 dou6*3 jyun4 loi4 zik1 hai6 bou2 him2 ging1 gei2.
Only when I went there did I know that it was actually ‘insurance broker’.

去度嘅時候招待員畀咗一份申請表我, 叫我入去會客室入便填寫.
Heoi3 dou6 ge3 si4 hau6 ziu1 doi6 jyun4 bei2 zo2 jat1 fan6 san1 cing2 biu2 ngo5, giu3 ngo5 jap6 heoi3 wui6 haak3 sat1 jap6 bin6 tin4 se2.
When I got there, the receptionist gave me an application form, and told me to enter the reception room to fill it in.

同我面試嘅唔係人事部嘅職員, 而係保險經理.
Tung4 ngo5 min6 si5 ge3 m4 hai6 jan4 si6 bou6 ge3 zik1 jyun4, ji4 hai6 bou2 him2 ging1 lei5.
(The person) interviewing me was not a personnel department employee, but the insurance manager.

佢竟然用咗一個半鐘頭同我做呢個面試.
Keoi5 ging2 jin4 jung6 zo2 jat1 go3 bun3 zung1 tau4 tung4 ngo4 zou6 ni1 go3 min6 si5.
He unexpectedly used an hour and a half to do the interview with me.

佢同我講呢個工作可以賺好多錢, 一份保單可以賺三成嘅佣金.
Keoi5 tung4 ngo5 gong2 ni1 go3 gung1 zok3 ho2 ji5 zaan6 hou2 do1 cin4*2, jat1 fan6 bou2 daan1 ho2 ji5 zaan6 saam1 sing4 ge3 jung6 gam1.
He told me that (one can) earn a lot of money doing this job, and get 30% commission for each insurance policy sold.

佢又同我講, 呢份工作唔容易入行, 因為要通過考試先至可以成為保險從業員.
Keoi5 jau6 tung4 ngo5 gong2, ni1 fan6 gung1 zok3 m4 jung4 ji6 jap6 hong4, jan1 wai6 jiu3 tung1 gwo3 haau2 si5 sin1 zi3 ho2 ji5 sing4 wai6 bou2 him2 cung4 jip6 jyun4.
He also told me, it is not easy to enter the profession (through this job), because one must pass an exam before being able to become an insurance employee.

但係我覺得呢份工作唔係好容易, 因為每個月都一定要做夠一定嘅保單限額.
Daan6 hai6 ngo5 gok3 dak1 ni1 fan6 gung1 zok3 m4 hai6 hou2 jung4 ji6, jan1 wai6 mui5 go3 jyut6 dou1 jat1 ding6 jiu3 zou6 gau3 jat1 ding6 ge3 bou2 daan1 haan6 ngaak6*2.
But I think this job is not very easy (to do), because each month one must fulfill an insurance (sales) quota.

如果唔係嗰個月分分鐘冇糧出.
Jyu4 gwo2 m4 hai6 go2 go3 jyut6 fan1 fan1 zung1 mou5 loeng4 ceot1.
Otherwise, that month one may not get paid.

所以最後我都拒絕咗呢份工作.
So2 ji5 zeoi3 hau6 ngo5 dou1 keoi5 zyut6 ni1 fan6 gung1 zok3.
So I finally rejected this job.

今次嘅面試真係令到我印象深刻.
Gam1 ci3 ge3 min6 si5 zan1 hai6 ling6 dou3 ngo5 jan3 zoeng6 sam1 hak1.
This interview really left me with a deep impression.

Produced by my wife and transcribed by Wai Ming. Very much appreciated.

The Cantonese have an idiom 入鄉隨俗 jap6 hoeng1 ceoi4 zuk6. Living in Hong Kong, I expect people to speak to me in Cantonese. When you are in Australia, I’m happy to speak to you in English. I came to Hong Kong with the mission to improve my Cantonese, everyday I wake up hoping that tomorrow I will speak that slightly bit better. When others don’t agree with my dreams of advanced fluency, we have a big problem. It costed me thousands of dollars to leave my comfortable life-style in Sydney to embark on my Cantonese dream.

I speak to my wife in (only) Cantonese and I live with my parents-in-law who only speak Cantonese. I only watch Cantonese TV and only speak English when I teach English to the locals at an English language school. Teaching English now means I cannot use 100% of every waking hour speaking Cantonese. So every minute in which I can speak Cantonese is valuable to me.

I go to McDonalds and do the talking (Cantonese), while I’m talking to the girl she looks at my wife and ignores me. If I’m talking to you, why would you look at my wife? Of course I understand what you are saying. Suddenly my blood pressure rises and I blast out in less than polite Cantonese.

The receptionists at my school keep arguing with me that they should have the right to speak English to me as I’m an English teacher. Every day I say the same thing over and over which still doesn’t sink into their brains 入鄉隨俗 jap6 hoeng1 ceoi4 zuk6. What makes me angry is when one of them purposely pretended not to understand any of my Cantonese when spoken to. I am paid to speak English and I don’t see any benefits by speaking English to the locals when I’m not teaching. Just to make me angry, some purposely speak even faster to me in Cantonese and then say in English “see you couldn’t understand me, I have to speak English”. These are the same receptionists who speak Cantonese to me when they are in desperate need of teachers, but speak English when they think I can be taken advantage of by teaching them free-of-charge. These receptionists have made fun of my Cantonese simply thinking no one could possibly want to learn Cantonese and be honestly serious about it! I have spent nearly 2000 hours learning Cantonese and was ridiculed and made fun of my accent or when I say something and my tones are wrong. They think that I shouldn’t be making mistakes at all after 1 year of study. These are not the sort of mistakes that one could mistake for a swear word or dirty word, but rather simple verb mistakes or incorrect grammar. In fact, I get lectured that Chinese is so easy because there is no grammar.

I teach English, I’m very tolerant of Hong Kong people consistently making errors, having incorrect intonation and poor vocabulary. I never make fun of my students speaking English. I asked some of my students if they would feel upset if I laughed at their English, and of course everyone said they would. Though these student’s couldn’t understand why I would be upset about people flattering or laughing at my Cantonese.

I once was lectured by an Indian who spoke fluent Cantonese on my pronunciation of a word 傳教士 cyun4 gaau3 si6 (Missionary). I was told not to speak unless I was sure on the tones. I might as well never speak because I’m bound to make mistakes.

Yes, you may think I’m rude. Simply being polite or kindly asking someone to stop speaking English does not get you anywhere. The people I have spoken to think its a joke that someone would learn Cantonese and will always revert to English if you give them the opportunity. When I see a migrant in Australia, I tailor my voice so they can understand both in speed and vocabulary. Isn’t it quite normal to speak slowly to a learner? However, Hong Kong people that I’ve met speak to me at full speed with advanced vocabulary all the time- I must constantly remind them I’m not native every 30 seconds.

I know my Cantonese is far from perfect, but I hope this time next year I will have reached some level where I can comfortably say I am proud of my achievement.

Last year I asked Steve Kaufmann of The Linguist how he learnt Cantonese. He incredibly speaks 9 languages quite fluently. I’m so impressed with his Mandarin that I had to find out what was his secret to success.

Here is the link to my email [Steve Kaufmann’s Blog (Learning Cantonese)]

It only took him 6 months to be able to functionally use Cantonese and have the ability to phone Cantonese radio talk shows!

Steve answering my email in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin: