Effortless Way To Learn 25 Cantonese Emotions

Feel excited and amazed. Brace yourself for an emotional rollercoaster in the land of the Hongkongers. So, let’s learn some Cantonese emotions 情調 cing4 diu6.

Anyone who has Hong Kong on their bucket list will indeed feel excited 興奮. It is not surprising because, hey, what’s not to love in Hong Kong? They have breathtaking tourist spots, amazing culture, and of course, delicious Cantonese cuisine.

Having fun in this country isn’t really that hard. Hong Kong will do its magic for you. But, it is also important to learn how to express your feelings and emotions using the Cantonese language. It will help you when you’re traveling, eating, and, most importantly, during an emergency. So, in this blog, we will learn some vocabulary about Cantonese emotions. Don’t worry because translations and romanizations are available to guide you throughout this journey.

情調 (Cing4 Diu6)

The Cantonese word 情調 (Cing4 Diu6) literally means “emotions” in English. You might also encounter the Chinese word “Qíngdiào.” If you do, don’t get confused because it is the Mandarin Chinese word for emotions. Remember, there are different Chinese languages, but in Hong Kong, most people speak Cantonese Chinese and English than Mandarin Chinese. These two are both Chinese languages, but they are really different from one another. If you want to learn more, there’s a perfect blog for you.

 

Basic Cantonese Emotions With Its Literal Meaning

Traveling to Hong Kong is such a wonderful experience that you’ll never forget in your whole life. It gives you the feeling of being amazed and excited because Hong Kong has a lot to offer. But, like what was mentioned above, brace yourself to an emotional (情緒化 | cing4 seoi5 faa3) rollercoaster. Here are the must-learn common Cantonese emotions if you’re going to visit Hong Kong.

開心 (Hoi1 Sam1)

English Translation: Happiness

When we talk about happiness (開心 | hoi1 sam1) and Hong Kong, there’s one perfect place that will immediately come to our mind. It is non-other than Hong Kong Disneyland. Feeling the magic around you will really give you happiness. One of the basic Cantonese emotions that you should really learn is happiness (開心 | hoi1 sam1). In this life, people are continuously searching for their own happiness and peace. Happiness might also be the reason why you want to visit Hong Kong and learn the Cantonese language.

 傷心 (Soeng1 Sam1)

English Translation: Sadness

If you feel that sadness (傷心 | Soeng1 Sam1) is creeping inside you, there’s the Tsim Sha Tsui, where you can have an amazing view of Hong Kong’s breathtaking skyline. This amazing view of the Symphony of lights lighting up the most iconic skyscrapers will surely take your sadness away. You’ll be left in awe, and it will cheer you up again.

期待 (Kei4 doi6)

English Translation: Excitement

Every people who visit Hong Kong will never get away with the excitement (期待 | Kei4 doi6) brought by riding the vintage trams that will take you around the city. Another thing that will make you feel excited is using the Octopus card, which you can use in almost everything from shopping, traveling and, eating. When you’re in Hong Kong, it’s hard not to feel (覺得 gok3 dak1 | to feel) the excitement in everything you do and see. Every experience is worth treasuring.

驚喜 (Ging1 Hei2)

English Translation: Surprise

Have you been to Tian Tan Buddha in Lantau Island? This place should never leave your itinerary upon visiting Hong Kong. You’ll be surprised because it is the largest outdoor bronze statue of Buddha. Aside from this, there are actually a lot of other things that can surprise (驚喜 | ing1 Hei2) you in Hong Kong. Did you that a lot of billionaires live in Hong Kong? Yes, Hong Kong is considered as one of the Asian Tigers that has a really strong economy.

嬲 (Nau1)

English Translation: Anger

After learning the positive feelings, we should also learn some negative Cantonese emotions. Remember, learning how to effectively express your emotions will really help you protect your mental health. When you’re in Hong Kong, there can be times that you will feel anger. For example, when you lost your valuables or when you had a problem in the airport. But, you have to keep in mind that you’re in a foreign country so make sure you know some basic words and phrases and sound polite.

害怕 (Hoi6 Paa3)

English Translation: Fear

Hong Kong has one of the busiest cities in the world. So, it is only natural to have fear (害怕 | Hoi6 Paa3), especially when you’re traveling alone. One example of the most densely populated place in Hong Kong is Mong Kok. This is filled with incredibly lively colors, neon signs, different kinds of shops, and minibusses. As a foreigner, walking down the busy streets of Hong Kong will make you feel scared because there are too many people around you, and everything seems fast-paced.

嘔心 (Au2 Sam1)

English Translation: Disgust

We cannot discuss Hong Kong without mentioning the mouth-watering Cantonese cuisine. When you taste Cantonese food, there’s no room for disgust (嘔心 | Au2 Sam1) because you’ll surely love to eat their famous dishes. These dishes are the ones you typically taste when you get to your favorite Chinese restaurant in different parts of the world.

 

Words To Describe Emotions In Cantonese

CantoneseJyutpingEnglish Translation
快樂faai3 lok6happy
悲傷bei1 soeng1sad
生氣saang1 hei3angry
無聊mou4 liu4bored
冷靜laang5 zing6calm
din1crazy
失望sat1 mong6disappointed
厭惡jim3 wu3disgusted
興奮hing1 fan5excited
有活力jau5 wut6 lik6energetic
害怕hoi6 paa3frightened
暴躁bou6 cou3grumpy
戀愛中lyun2 ngoi3 zung1in love
緊張gan2 zoeng1nervous
自豪zi6 hou4proud
放鬆fong3 sung1relaxed
後悔hau6 fui3remorseful
精力充沛zing1 lik6 cung1 pui3rested
驚訝ging1 ngaa6surprised
leoi6tired
Emotions In Cantonese

After learning some Cantonese emotions, you should also learn how to use them in sentences and conversations like 唔該冷靜啲. (m4 goi1 laang5 zing6 di1.) which means “Please calm down.”, 你點解咁嬲? (nei5 dim2 gaai2 gam3 nau1?) -which means “Why are you so angry?” and 我後悔冇買到條裙。(ngo5 hau6 fui3 mou5 maai5 dou3 tiu4 kwan4.), which means “I regret not buying that dress.” But, if you want to learn more, keep on reading!

 

Learn Cantonese With Our Free App

Do you know what would be fun? It’s learning Cantonese fun and conveniently for free! This is possible with Ling App. Ling App is an ideal language learning partner if you want to learn Cantonese while you’re at home feeling relaxed. It has a variety of topics to choose from. Lessons are designed like a game, so they will keep you engaged and motivated. Listening to audio recordings and relating the image to the word or phrase will really help strengthen your learning.

There’s a lot more to discover with Ling App. You’ll be surprised and proud of how good you’ll become after using this app. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time for your to have fun while learning Cantonese with Ling App!

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