Contacts & SNS

1. 你叫咩名？

   nei5 giu3 me1 meng2?

   What is your name?

   Usage

   A casual way to ask someone's name when meeting for the first time

   Grammar Note

   "Me1" is the Cantonese colloquial question word for "what." "Me1 meng2?" means "what name?"

2. 你係邊度人？

   nei5 hai6 bin1 dou6 jan4?

   Where are you from?

   Usage

   Ask someone where they are originally from

   Grammar Note

   "Hai6" is the Cantonese copula. "Bin1 dou6" means "where" and is the Cantonese question word

3. 你有冇WhatsApp？

   nei5 jau5 mou5 WhatsApp?

   Do you have WhatsApp?

   Usage

   WhatsApp is the dominant messaging app in Hong Kong. Use this to exchange contacts

   Grammar Note

   "Jau5 mou5" is the standard Cantonese yes/no question. WhatsApp dominates communication in HK

4. 你係做咩工作㗎？

   nei5 hai6 zou6 me1 gung1 zok3 gaa3?

   What kind of work do you do?

   Usage

   A social question to ask about someone's occupation

   Grammar Note

   "Gaa3" is a Cantonese sentence-final particle that confirms or mildly emphasizes a statement

5. 你有名片嗎？

   nei5 jau5 meng4 pin2 maa3?

   Do you have a business card?

   Usage

   Ask for a business card in a networking or professional setting

   Grammar Note

   "Maa3" is a question particle. "Jau5…maa3?" forms "do you have…?" in Cantonese

6. 我哋保持聯絡

   ngo5 dei6 bou2 ci4 lyun4 lok3

   Let's keep in touch

   Usage

   Promise to stay in contact when parting ways

   Grammar Note

   "Dei6" is the Cantonese plural suffix. "Ngo5 dei6" means "we" or "us"

7. 你住喺邊度？

   nei5 zyu6 hai2 bin1 dou6?

   Where do you live?

   Usage

   Ask where someone lives during a conversation or introduction

   Grammar Note

   "Hai2" is the Cantonese locative preposition "at/in." "Bin1 dou6" is the question word for where

8. 你電話幾多號？

   nei5 din6 waa2 gei2 do1 hou6?

   What is your phone number?

   Usage

   Ask for someone's phone number when exchanging contacts

   Grammar Note

   "Gei2 do1" means "how many" in Cantonese, used to ask about numbers and quantities

9. 有機會再見面

   jau5 gei1 wui6 zoi3 gin3 min6

   I hope we can meet again

   Usage

   Express hope to meet again when saying goodbye

   Grammar Note

   "Jau5 gei1 wui6" means if there is an opportunity. "Zoi3" means again or once more

10. 嚟香港玩嘅時候搵我

    lai4 hoeng1 gong2 waan2 ge3 si4 hau6 wan2 ngo5

    Look me up when you come to Hong Kong

    Usage

    A warm invitation for friends to reach out when they visit Hong Kong

    Grammar Note

    "Wan2" means to look for or contact someone in Cantonese, equivalent to Mandarin "zhǎo"

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