Expressing Feelings — Building Blocks

What you will learn

Learn to talk about your emotions and respond to others with empathy in Cantonese. From happiness and excitement to worry and frustration, express yourself naturally in everyday conversations.

Describe how you feel using common emotion words
Ask others how they are feeling
Express sympathy and encouragement
Use degree words to intensify emotions

Dialogue

Conversation

A

你今日好似唔係好開心喎。

nei5 gam1 jat6 hou2 ci5 m4 hai6 hou2 hoi1 sam1 wo3.

You do not seem very happy today.

B

係呀，我好擔心聽日嘅考試。

hai6 aa3, ngo5 hou2 daam1 sam1 ting1 jat6 ge3 haau2 si5.

Yeah, I am really worried about tomorrow exam.

A

唔使咁驚呀，你已經溫咗好耐書㗎啦。

m4 sai2 gam3 geng1 aa3, nei5 ji5 ging1 wan1 zo2 hou2 noi6 syu1 gaa3 laa3.

Don not be so scared, you have been studying for a long time already.

B

但係我仲係好緊張，瞓唔着覺。

daan6 hai6 ngo5 zung6 hai6 hou2 gan2 zoeng1, fan3 m4 zoek6 gaau3.

But I am still very nervous, I cannot fall asleep.

A

我明白你嘅感受。不如聽下音樂放鬆下？

ngo5 ming4 baak6 nei5 ge3 gam2 sau6. bat1 jyu4 teng1 haa5 jam1 ngok6 fong3 sung1 haa5?

I understand how you feel. How about listening to some music to relax?

B

都好嘅。其實我都好掛住屋企人。

dou1 hou2 ge3. kei4 sat6 ngo5 dou1 hou2 gwaa3 zyu6 uk1 kei2 jan4.

That sounds good. Actually I also really miss my family.

A

你可以打電話返去傾下偈呀。

nei5 ho2 ji5 daa2 din6 waa2 faan1 heoi3 king1 haa5 gai2 aa3.

You can call home and have a chat.

B

係喎，傾完偈一定會開心返嘅。多謝你呀！

hai6 wo3, king1 jyun4 gai2 jat1 ding6 wui5 hoi1 sam1 faan1 ge3. do1 ze6 nei5 aa3!

True, after chatting I will definitely feel happier. Thank you!

Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

開心

hoi1 sam1

happy

唔開心

m4 hoi1 sam1

unhappy / sad

擔心

daam1 sam1

worried

緊張

gan2 zoeng1

nervous

驚

geng1

scared / afraid

嬲

nau1

angry

攰

gui6

tired

悶

mun6

bored

掛住

gwaa3 zyu6

miss (someone)

放鬆

fong3 sung1

relax

感受

gam2 sau6

feelings

明白

ming4 baak6

understand

Grammar

Language Patterns

好似 + adjective/clause (seems like)

好似 (hou2 ci5) means "seems like" or "looks like". Use it to describe your impression of how someone appears or a situation seems.

你好似好攰。

nei5 hou2 ci5 hou2 gui6.

You seem very tired.

佢好似唔開心。

keoi5 hou2 ci5 m4 hoi1 sam1.

She seems unhappy.

唔使咁 + adjective (do not need to be so...)

唔使咁 (m4 sai2 gam3) + adjective tells someone not to feel a certain way so intensely. It is a comforting and encouraging expression.

唔使咁擔心。

m4 sai2 gam3 daam1 sam1.

Do not worry so much.

唔使咁嬲啦。

m4 sai2 gam3 nau1 laa1.

Do not be so angry.

verb + 唔着 (unable to verb)

verb + 唔着 (m4 zoek6) expresses inability to achieve the result of a verb. 瞓唔着 means cannot fall asleep. This is a potential complement pattern.

我瞓唔着覺。

ngo5 fan3 m4 zoek6 gaau3.

I cannot fall asleep.

我搵唔着我本書。

ngo5 wan2 m4 zoek6 ngo5 bun2 syu1.

I cannot find my book.

adjective + 返 (return to a state)

Adding 返 (faan1) after an adjective means to return to that state. 開心返 means "become happy again". Very natural for expressing recovery of mood.

你一定會開心返嘅。

nei5 jat1 ding6 wui5 hoi1 sam1 faan1 ge3.

You will definitely be happy again.

瞓多陣就精神返㗎啦。

fan3 do1 zan6 zau6 zing1 san4 faan1 gaa3 laa3.

Sleep more and you will feel energized again.

Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1

我好 ___ 聽日嘅面試。 (worried)

擔心
開心
緊張
悶

Answer

擔心

Translate · Question 2

You seem very tired today.

Answer

你今日好似好攰。

Choice · Question 3

What does 掛住 mean?

miss (someone)
angry at
scared of
bored with

Answer

miss (someone)

Fill_blank · Question 4

唔使咁 ___ 啦，會冇事嘅。 (scared)

驚
開心
明白
放鬆

Answer

驚

Translate · Question 5

I cannot fall asleep because I am too nervous.

Answer

我太緊張所以瞓唔着覺。

Learn to talk about your emotions and respond to others with empathy in Cantonese. From happiness and excitement to worry and frustration, express yourself naturally in everyday conversations.

Conversation

Key Words & Phrases

Language Patterns

好似 + adjective/clause (seems like)

唔使咁 + adjective (do not need to be so...)

verb + 唔着 (unable to verb)

adjective + 返 (return to a state)

Test Your Knowledge

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