Cantonese Chinese · Cantonese Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 2
我叫家欣。I'm Ka-yan.
Saying who you are: the difference between 叫 and 姓, how to ask someone's name, and the 阿 that Hong Kong friends put in front of a name.
Dialogue
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你叫乜嘢名呀？— What's your name?
- KaYan你好！我叫家欣。Hi! I'm Ka-yan.
- Mike你好，家欣！我叫 Mike。Hi, Ka-yan! I'm Mike.
- KaYanMike，你姓乜嘢呀？Mike, what's your surname?
- Mike姓？我叫 Mike 呀。Surname? I'm Mike.
- KaYan哦。我姓陳，叫陳家欣。Oh. My surname is Chan — Chan Ka-yan.
- Mike陳家欣……好名！Chan Ka-yan… nice name!
Dialogue
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阿明— Ah Ming
- AhMing你好！我姓李，叫我阿明啦。Hi! My surname's Lee — just call me Ah Ming.
- Mike阿明，你好！我叫 Mike。Hi, Ah Ming! I'm Mike.
- AhMingMike……阿 Mike！Mike… Ah Mike!
- Mike阿 Mike？Ah Mike?
- KaYan好呀！阿 Mike！Love it! Ah Mike!
- Mike哦……好呀。Oh… OK then.
Vocabulary
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- 我
pronounI; me
- 叫
verbto be called; to call
- 乜嘢
pronounwhat
- 名
nounname (given name)
- 姓
verbto have the surname…; surname
- 哦
int.oh (I see)
- 阿
prefixfriendly prefix before a name (阿明)
- 啦
particleparticle for a friendly suggestion ("…, OK?")
- 好呀
phrasesure; OK; good
- 家欣
pn.Ka-yan (a given name)
- 阿明
pn.Ah Ming (friendly form of a name)
- 陳
pn.Chan (a surname)
- 李
pn.Lee (a surname)
New characters
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- 我
I; me
- 叫
to call; to be called
- 乜
what (in 乜嘢)
- 嘢
thing; stuff (in 乜嘢)
- 名
name
- 姓
surname
- 哦
oh (I see)
- 阿
friendly prefix before a name
- 啦
particle: friendly suggestion
- 陳
the surname Chan
- 李
plum; the surname Lee
Grammar
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叫 for your name, 姓 for your surname
Explanation
Two verbs do the work of names. 叫 means "to be called": 我叫家欣, 我叫 Mike. What follows can be your full name or what friends usually call you. 姓 is for the surname only: 我姓陳, 我姓李. Only the surname follows it, never the given name. In a Chinese name the surname comes first: in 陳家欣, 陳 is the surname and 家欣 the given name. That is why Ka-yan says 我姓陳，叫陳家欣.
Examples
- 我叫家欣。I'm called Ka-yan.
- 我姓陳。My surname is Chan.
- 我姓李，叫我阿明啦。My surname's Lee — call me Ah Ming.
- 我叫 Mike。I'm called Mike.
Grammar
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The question word stays where the answer goes
Explanation
To ask a question in Cantonese you do not move anything. The question word goes exactly where the answer will go: 我叫家欣 → 你叫乜嘢名? ("what are you called?"); 我姓陳 → 你姓乜嘢? ("what's your surname?"). Add 呀 at the end and the question sounds softer and more polite: 你叫乜嘢名呀?
Examples
- 你叫乜嘢名呀？我叫家欣。What's your name? — I'm Ka-yan.
- 你姓乜嘢呀？我姓李。What's your surname? — Lee.
- 你叫乜嘢名？我叫阿明。What's your name? — Ah Ming. (plainer, without 呀)
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