[Macau Travel Tips] Cantonese Phrases for Tourists

[Eric Chen]

If you cannot speak Cantonese in Macau, you will find it quite impossible to communicate with the majority of the population.

Although Portuguese is one of the official languages of Macao, only about 7% of the population know how to speak this language. English is understood by the Filipinos working locally as well as people in the tourist industry. Mandarin (putonghua) is sometimes understood by the local inhabitants (if you are lucky).

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If you do not know Cantonese, your best bet is to ask a Filipino or Filipina for translation help. You may be surprised to know that many know how to speak Cantonese although they cannot read Chinese.

The other workaround is to print out the Chinese names of your travel destination as well as simple phrases in Traditional Chinese like "where is the toilet?" (Only the younger folk cannot read Simplified Chinese.)

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Where is the toilet?
廁所喺邊度呀?
chisó hai bīndouh a?

I am not familiar with Cantonese
我唔識講廣東話
ngóh m̀sìk góng gwóngdùngwá

Please write it down
唔該你寫低吖?
m̀gòi néih sédài a?

I understand
我明白嘞
ngóh mìhngbaahk la

I don't understand
我唔明白
ngóh m̀ mìhngbaahk

Do you understand?
你明唔明呀?
néih mìhngm̀mìhng a

More Phrases
http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/cantonese.php

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Posted By Eric Chen to Macau Travel Tips at 4/05/2009 08:18:00 PM