30-Day Hong Kong Cantonese Course​

How to use this course​

Aim for 30–45 minutes per day:

10 min: vocabulary

10 min: say the example sentences aloud

10 min: review previous days

5–15 min: listening/speaking practice

I'll use Jyutping:

我 ngo5 = I / me

The number represents the Cantonese tone.

Week 1 — Survival Cantonese​

Day 1 — Hello! 你好​

Vocabulary

Learn these chunks

你好！ nei5 hou2 Hello!

早晨！ zou2 san4 Good morning!

多謝！ do1 ze6 Thank you!

唔該！ m4 goi1 Thanks / excuse me. Mini-dialogue

A: 你好！ Hello!

B: 你好！早晨！ Hello! Good morning!

A: 多謝！ Thanks! Today's mission

Say 你好、早晨、多謝、唔該 aloud 10 times each.

Day 2 — I, you, he/she​

Vocabulary

Key pattern

我係…… ngo5 hai6 ... I am...

你係…… nei5 hai6 ... You are...

Examples:

我係學生。 ngo5 hai6 hok6 saang1 I'm a student.

佢係我朋友。 keoi5 hai6 ngo5 pang4 jau5 He/she is my friend. Day 3 — The most important negative words

Today is extremely important.

Vocabulary

Key distinction

唔 m4 generally negates actions, descriptions, etc.

我唔知。 ngo5 m4 zi1 I don't know.

冇 mou5 means don't have / there isn't.

我冇錢。 ngo5 mou5 cin2 I don't have money.

Essential survival sentence

我唔明。 ngo5 m4 ming4 I don't understand. Day 4 — What?

Vocabulary

Pattern

呢個係咩？ ni1 go3 hai6 me1? What is this?

嗰個係咩？ go2 go3 hai6 me1? What's that?

邊個？ bin1 go3? Who? Day 5 — Where?

Vocabulary

Pattern

你住邊度？ nei5 zyu6 bin1 dou6? Where do you live?

我住香港。 ngo5 zyu6 hoeng1 gong2 I live in Hong Kong.

廁所喺邊度？ ci3 so2 hai2 bin1 dou6? Where's the toilet? Day 6 — Numbers 1–10

Learn these thoroughly:

Practice

Say:

一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八、九、十

Then backwards.

Then randomly.

Day 7 — Review + first conversation​

You now know enough to make a tiny conversation. Dialogue

A: 你好！你叫咩名呀？ Hello! What's your name?

B: 我叫 Alex。你呢？ My name is Alex. And you?

A: 我叫 Sam。 My name is Sam.

B: 你係邊度人？ Where are you from?

A: 我係英國人。 I'm British. Week 1 challenge

Without looking at the English:

Introduce yourself.

Say where you're from.

Say where you live.

Ask someone's name.

Say you don't understand.

Week 2 — Food, shopping & daily life​

Day 8 — Eat & drink​

Key sentence

我肚餓。 ngo5 tou5 ngo6 I'm hungry.

我想食飯。 ngo5 soeng2 sik6 faan6 I want to eat. Day 9 — Ordering food

Learn:

Practice

我要一杯咖啡。 ngo5 jiu3 jat1 bui1 gaa3 fe1 I'd like a coffee.

唔要辣，唔該。 m4 jiu3 laat6, m4 goi1 Not spicy, please.

Day 10 — Restaurant vocabulary​

Mission

Imagine you're in a cha chaan teng and order:

a drink

a meal

something not spicy

the bill

Day 11 — Shopping​

Essential phrase

幾多錢呀？ gei2 do1 cin2 aa3? How much is it?

太貴喇。 taai3 gwai3 laa3 It's too expensive.

Day 12 — Time​

Practice

我而家好忙。 ngo5 ji4 gaa1 hou2 mong4 I'm very busy right now.

聽日見。 ting1 jat6 gin3 See you tomorrow.

Day 13 — Family & people​

| Cantonese | Jyutping | English || | -- | -- | -- | | 爸爸 | baa4 baa1 | dad | | 媽媽 | maa4 maa1 | mum | | 阿哥 | aa3 go1 | older brother | | 家姐 | gaa1 ze1 | older sister | | 細佬 | sai3 lou2 | younger brother | | 細妹 | sai3 mui6 | younger sister | | 老公 | lou5 gung1 | husband | | 老婆 | lou5 po4 | wife | | 仔 | zai2 | son | | 女 | neoi5 | daughter |

Practice

佢係我阿哥。 keoi5 hai6 ngo5 aa3 go1 He's my older brother.

Day 14 — Week 2 review​

Challenge

Have this conversation aloud:

Hello. What's your name? Where are you from? Where do you live? Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? How much is it? Thank you. See you tomorrow.

Don't worry about speed. Accuracy first.

Week 3 — Getting around Hong Kong​

Day 15 — Transportation​

Day 16 — Directions​

Sentence

地鐵站喺邊度？ Where is the MTR station? Day 17 — Going somewhere

Learn:

去 heoi3 — go 嚟 lai4 — come 返 faan1 — return/go back 到 dou3 — arrive 行 haang4 — walk 坐 co5 — sit / take transport Examples

我去香港。 I'm going to Hong Kong.

我返屋企。 I'm going home.

你幾時嚟？ When are you coming?

Day 18 — Can / cannot​

Very useful pattern

可唔可以……？ ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ...?

“Can I...?”

可唔可以幫我？ Can you help me?

Day 19 — Help!​

Important

唔該幫我。 m4 goi1 bong1 ngo5 Please help me.

Day 20 — Weather​

Sentence

今日好熱。 gam1 jat6 hou2 jit6 It's very hot today.

Day 21 — Week 3 review​

Scenario

You are lost in Hong Kong.

Ask:

Where is the MTR station?

Can you help me?

Is it far?

Which way?

Thank the person.

Try to do the whole interaction without English.

Week 4 — Real Cantonese​

Now we move from vocabulary to natural speech.

Day 22 — Sentence particles​

These are essential.

Compare:

食飯。 Eat.

食飯呀？ Are you eating?

食飯啦。 Let's eat / Go eat.

食咗飯喇。 I've eaten already.

Don't try to perfectly translate particles. Learn their feel and usage.

Day 23 — Aspect: 咗​

咗 zo2 often indicates a completed action or changed state. Pattern

Verb + 咗

食咗 sik6 zo2 ate / have eaten

去咗 heoi3 zo2 went / have gone

買咗 maai5 zo2 bought Example

我食咗飯喇。 ngo5 sik6 zo2 faan6 laa3 I've eaten already.

Day 24 — Aspect: 緊​

緊 gan2 indicates an action in progress. Pattern

Verb + 緊

食緊 eating

睇緊 watching / looking at

做緊 doing

返緊工 working Example

我食緊飯。 ngo5 sik6 gan2 faan6 I'm eating. Day 25 — “Want to” Pattern

想 + verb

我想去香港。 ngo5 soeng2 heoi3 hoeng1 gong2 I want to go to Hong Kong.

我想飲咖啡。 I want to drink coffee.

你想食咩？ What do you want to eat? Challenge

Make five sentences beginning:

我想……

Day 26 — Because / therefore / but​

Example

因為今日落雨，所以我唔出去。

jan1 wai6 gam1 jat6 lok6 jyu5, so2 ji5 ngo5 m4 ceot1 heoi3

Because it's raining today, I'm not going out.

Day 27 — Natural conversation fillers​

These make your Cantonese sound much more conversational.

Example

真係好好食喎！ zan1 hai6 hou2 hou2 sik6 wo3 It's really delicious! Day 28 — Cantonese small talk

Now combine everything. Dialogue

A: 你今日做咩呀？ What are you doing today?

B: 我今日返工。你呢？ I'm working today. And you?

A: 我唔使返工，想去飲咖啡。 I don't have to work, so I want to go for coffee.

B: 好呀！去邊度？ Sure! Where?

A: 去附近嗰間咖啡店。 To that coffee shop nearby.

B: 得喎！ Sounds good!

Notice how little of this is made from complicated vocabulary. Common words + particles + sentence patterns are the key.

Day 29 — Survival conversation test​

Try answering these without looking anything up. Introduction

你叫咩名？ What's your name?

你係邊度人？ Where are you from?

你住邊度？ Where do you live? Food

你食咩呀？ What are you eating?

你想飲咩？ What do you want to drink? Navigation

你去邊度？ Where are you going?

地鐵站喺邊度？ Where's the MTR station? Shopping

呢個幾多錢？ How much is this?

有冇平啲？ Is there a cheaper one? Understanding

你明唔明？ huge difference once you start listening to actual Hong Kong Cantonese. Do you understand?

我唔明。 I don't understand. Day 30 — Your first Cantonese conversation 🎉

By now, try to perform this entire dialogue aloud. Meeting someone

A: 你好！ Hello!

B: 你好！你叫咩名呀？ Hello! What's your name?

A: 我叫 Alex。你呢？ I'm Alex. And you?

B: 我叫 Sam。你係邊度人？ I'm Sam. Where are you from?

A: 我係英國人，而家住喺東京。你呢？ I'm British, and I live in Tokyo now. You?

B: 我係香港人。 I'm from Hong Kong.

A: 你今日做咩呀？ What are you doing today?

B: 我今日唔使返工，想去食飯。 I don't have to work today, so I want to go eat.

A: 好呀！你想食咩？ Sure! What do you want to eat?

B: 我想食點心。你呢？ I want to eat dim sum. You?

A: 我都想食！ I want to eat it too!

B: 咁我哋一齊去啦！ Then let's go together!

A: 好呀！ Sure!

🎯 Your 30-day targets​

By the end of the course, aim to be able to:

Introduce yourself.

Ask someone's name and where they're from.

Say where you live.

Order food and drinks.

Ask for the bill.

Ask prices.

Buy something.

Ask for directions.

Use the MTR/bus/taxi vocabulary.

Ask someone to repeat or help you.

Say you don't understand.

Talk about what you're doing.

Talk about yesterday/today/tomorrow.

Express wants and needs.

Use 唔 and 冇 correctly.

Begin using 咗 and 緊.

Recognize common sentence particles.

Hold a basic 2–5 minute conversation.

The 20 patterns I'd memorize first

If you remember nothing else from the course, remember these:

我係…… — I am...

我唔係…… — I am not...

我有…… — I have...

我冇…… — I don't have...

我想…… — I want to...

我要…… — I want/need...

我唔要…… — I don't want...

我唔知。 — I don't know.

我唔明。 — I don't understand.

你識唔識……？ — Do you know...?

你食咗飯未呀？ — Have you eaten yet?

你做緊咩呀？ — What are you doing?

你去邊度？ — Where are you going?

呢個係咩？ — What is this?

幾多錢呀？ — How much is it?

可唔可以……？ — Can I...?

得唔得呀？ — Is that okay?

喺邊度？ — Where is it?

唔該…… — Please / excuse me...

多謝！ — Thank you!

50 essential Hong Kong Cantonese words & expressions​

1. Pronouns & people​

2. Essential verbs​

3. Core adjectives​

4. Question words​

Essential questions​

5. Time​

6. Numbers​

7. Food & drink​

A useful Hong Kong distinction:

兩 loeng5 = two of something.

兩個人 — loeng5 go3 jan4 — two people

兩杯水 — loeng5 bui1 seoi2 — two glasses of water

7. Food & drink​

In a restaurant

唔該 — m4 goi1 — excuse me / please / thank you

要 — jiu3 — want

唔要 — m4 jiu3 — don't want

少少 — siu2 siu2 — a little

多啲 — do1 di1 — a little more

少啲 — siu2 di1 — a little less

埋單 — maai4 daan1 — the bill, please

打包 — daa2 baau1 — takeaway / pack up

Example:

唔該，埋單。 m4 goi1, maai4 daan1. “Excuse me, the bill please.”

8. Hong Kong transportation​

香港站喺邊度？ hoeng1 gong2 zaam6 hai2 bin1 dou6? “Where is Hong Kong Station?”

9. Shopping & money​

有冇平啲？ jau5 mou5 peng4 di1? “Is there a cheaper one?”

10. Home & everyday objects​

11. Essential sentence-building words​

12. The Cantonese “power particles”​

Compare:

你食飯。 “You eat / you eat a meal.”

你食飯呀？ “Are you eating?”

你食飯啦。 “Go eat / Let's eat.”

你食咗飯喇。 “You've eaten already.”

The basic vocabulary barely changes, but the particle dramatically changes the conversational feeling.

13. Everyday Hong Kong expressions​

14. Common Hong Kong colloquial vocabulary​

15. Beginner sentences to memorize​

GitLab CI/CD​

GitLab CI/CD is a tool built into GitLab for software development through the continuous methodologies:

• Continuous Integration (CI)
• Continuous Delivery (CD)
• Continuous Deployment (CD)

Note: Out-of-the-box management systems can decrease hours spent on maintaining toolchains by 10% or more. Watch our “Mastering continuous software development” webcast to learn about continuous methods and how GitLab’s built-in CI can help you simplify and scale software development.

What is meant by CI/CD?​

This is a method of regularly delivering apps to customers and automating all phases of application development. The main concepts of CI/CD are Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery and Continuous Deployment. CI/CD solves the problems that integrating new code can cause for DevOps teams (also known as "integration hell").

In particular, CI/CD ensures continuous automation and monitoring throughout the entire app lifecycle, from the integration and testing to the deployment and implementation phase. These interrelated practices are often referred to as the "CI/CD pipeline" and are supported by agile collaboration between DevOps teams.

I just want to build something useful​

Coming from a conservative country I was raised with a strong sensibility for the separation of concerns - put your inline CSS into a style sheet, let the computer scientist handle the shopping list for new office computers and never even think about putting the salt shaker into the spice rack! Salt belongs to MSG and sugar rack on the right.

So is DevOps really the monster it is made out to be? Is a backend developer able to design a usable user interface and will a frontend dev bring down the whole service by ignoring best practices of harding the server before uploading his application?

How does a Jack-of-all-Trades handle a specific task compared to a specialist?

When websites stopped being simple fixed HTML layouts with hyperlinks they called it Web 2.0. What number are we at now? I must have lost count. I have learnt HTML5 and CSS3 on my own long before I had to use it professionally. And once I started being asked to provide solutions for web projects... those no longer seemed to matter much. Sure JSX vaguely resembles HTML5 and CSSinJS - well, if you squint your eyes a little you might find things that sound familiar.

Flip Cards​

A Flip Card

• Some shocking information
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• And now the evidence

A Flip Card

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This is another Flip Card

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript

This is another Flip Card

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