Learning a new language can be a fun and exciting journey, and what better way to start your adventure than with some Cantonese tongue twisters? These clever wordplays are not only a great way for new learners to get familiar with the sounds and rhythms of a language or to help them fall in love with the nuances of it, but they’re also a great way for advanced learners to test their accents and proficiency. Let’s learn Cantonese with some of the most fun expressions you can know!
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How To Say Cantonese Tongue Twisters?
Here, we’re going to explore 6 different tongue twisters in Cantonese, their difficulty coming from easy to mind-twistingly hard, where you actually feel your tongue starting to cramp up. You also have a pinyin pronunciation for every sentence, so you can dominate Cantonese accents and tones. Try to say them and write in the comments if you could match these sentences’ difficulty increase. (BTW, I was stuck on the third one, so anything above that is great!)
Here is a list of the most popular Cantonese Tongue Twisters:
| Sentence | Cantonese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the lab, press the emergency button | 入實驗室㩒緊急掣 | yap6 sat6 yim6 sat1 gam6 gan2 gap1 jai3 |
| Uncle postman is skilled at delivering letters and sends them out quickly | 郵差叔叔送信純熟迅速送出 | yau4 chaai1 suk1 suk1 sung3 seun3 seun4 suk6 seun3 chuk1 sung3 cheut1 |
| Crazy-thread spiders, spiders cling to branches with their silk | 痴線蜘蛛啲蜘蛛絲黐住枝樹枝 | chi1 sin3 ji1 jyu1 di1 ji1 jyu1 si1 chi1 jyu6 ji1 syu6 ji1 |
| The corner of the bed hits the corner of the wall, the corner of the wall hits the corner of the bed, you say is it the corner of the bed hitting the corner of the wall or is it the corner of the wall hit the corner of the bed | 床腳撞牆角, 牆角撞床腳, 你話床腳撞牆角定牆角撞床腳 | chong4 geuk3 jong6 cheung4 gok3 cheung4 gok3 jong6 chong4 geuk3, nei5 wa6/wa2 chong4 geuk3 jong6 cheung4 gok3 ding6 cheung4 gok3 jong6 chong4 geuk3 |
| Digging tangerines, digging oranges, digging kumquats, digging chickens, digging bones, digging turtle bones, digging chicken bones, digging kumquats, digging turtle bones, digging chicken bones | 掘柑掘桔掘金桔, 掘雞掘骨掘龜骨, 掘完雞骨掘金桔, 掘完龜骨掘雞骨 | gwat6 gam1 gwat6 gat1 gwat6 gam1 gat1, gwat6 gai1 gwat6 gwat1 gwat6 gwai1 gwat1, gwat6 yun4 gai1 gwat1 gwat6 gam1 gat1, gwat6 yun4 gwai1 gwat1 gwat6 gai1 gwat1 |
| One dollar for a tortoise, seven dollars for a chicken. He said the tortoise was more expensive than the chicken. I said the chicken was more expensive than the tortoise. So is the tortoise more expensive than the chicken or is the chicken more expensive than the tortoise? | 一蚊一斤龜, 七蚊一斤雞，佢話龜貴過雞，我話雞貴過龜, 咁究竟龜貴過雞定係雞貴過龜? | yat1 man1 yat1 gan1 gwai1, chat1 man1 yat1 gan1 gai1, keui5 wa2 gwai1 gwai3 gwo3 gai1, ngo5 wa2 gai1 gwai3 gwo3 gwai1, gam2 gau3 ging2 gwai1 gwai3 gwo3 gai1 ding6 hai6 hai6 gai1 gwai3 gwo3 gwai1 |
1. 入實驗室㩒緊急掣 yap6 sat6 yim6 sat1 gam6 gan2 gap1 jai3
This is the easiest of the tongue twisters, and it roughly means “Enter the lab, press the emergency button”. In English, it doesn’t seem so hard, right? Does it really involve emergency phrases in Cantonese? Find out for yourself! Try Cantonese and see what’s your language learning level.
2. 郵差叔叔送信純熟迅速送出 yau4 chaai1 suk1 suk1 sung3 seun3 seun4 suk6 seun3 chuk1 sung3 cheut1
The second one in the list has a very strange meaning- Uncle Postman is skilled at delivering letters and sends them out quickly. But I think that is why it is so hard to say it in Cantonese.
3. 痴線蜘蛛啲蜘蛛絲黐住枝樹枝 chi1 sin3 ji1 jyu1 di1 ji1 jyu1 si1 chi1 jyu6 ji1 syu6 ji1
This is when things start to get hard. This sentence means “Crazy-thread spiders, spiders cling to branches with their silk” and it requires you to really practice it to be able to say it seemly.
4. 床腳撞牆角, 牆角撞床腳, 你話床腳撞牆角定牆角撞床腳 chong4 geuk3 jong6 cheung4 gok3 cheung4 gok3 jong6 chong4 geuk3, nei5 wa6/wa2 chong4 geuk3 jong6 cheung4 gok3 ding6 cheung4 gok3 jong6 chong4 geuk3
This sentence means, ” The corner of the bed hits the corner of the wall, the corner of the wall hits the corner of the bed, you say is it the corner of the bed hitting the corner of the wall or is it the corner of the wall hit the corner of the bed.”
The size of the Pinyin expression should be a red flag to the difficulty of this one.
5. 掘柑掘桔掘金桔, 掘雞掘骨掘龜骨, 掘完雞骨掘金桔, 掘完龜骨掘雞骨 gwat6 gam1 gwat6 gat1 gwat6 gam1 gat1, gwat6 gai1 gwat6 gwat1 gwat6 gwai1 gwat1, gwat6 yun4 gai1 gwat1 gwat6 gam1 gat1, gwat6 yun4 gwai1 gwat1 gwat6 gai1 gwat1
If you’ve reached this far, you’re already a winner, but I can only consider you a real pro in Cantonese if you hit this one. It involves lots of Cantonese common nouns, too!
This phrase means “ Digging tangerines, digging oranges, digging kumquats, digging chickens, digging bones, digging turtle bones, digging chicken bones, digging kumquats, digging turtle bones, digging chicken bones. ” Despite not having any reasonable meaning, it is able to give a tight knot on your tongue.
6. 一蚊一斤龜, 七蚊一斤雞，佢話龜貴過雞，我話雞貴過龜, 咁究竟龜貴過雞定係雞貴過龜? yat1 man1 yat1 gan1 gwai1, chat1 man1 yat1 gan1 gai1, keui5 wa2 gwai1 gwai3 gwo3 gai1, ngo5 wa2 gai1 gwai3 gwo3 gwai1, gam2 gau3 ging2 gwai1 gwai3 gwo3 gai1 ding6 hai6 hai6 gai1 gwai3 gwo3 gwai1
This means: One dollar for a tortoise, seven dollars for a chicken. He said the tortoise was more expensive than the chicken. I said the chicken was more expensive than the tortoise. So is the tortoise more expensive than the chicken or is the chicken more expensive than the tortoise?
Not in a million years would I be able to recite this tongue-twister without fainting. It is simply a mind-blowing hard phrase in Cantonese—just by hearing it, I get dizzy.
Tickle Your Funny Bone With Cantonese Tongue Twisters
Take it from me, a language enthusiast and traveler. Nothing breaks down linguistic barriers quite like a good tongue twister. I remember one instance when I was on a trip to Hong Kong, focused on photographing the local people in their daily lives. One morning, I was trying to strike up a conversation with a lovely local lady, but she was simply not having it with me. She was definitely not in the mood to make an effort and talk to me in English.
I was at a loss because she would be perfect for the project I was working on until I remembered a Cantonese tongue twister I had learned before my trip. Without any context or any meaning whatsoever, I said 痴線蜘蛛啲蜘蛛絲黐住枝樹枝。(chi1 xian4 zhi1 zhu1 zhi1 zhu1 si1 pang4 zhu4 zhi1 shu4 zhi1) meaning “Crazy thread spiders have spider silk that clings to branches” and to my surprise, she lit up with a huge smile and burst into laughter. Suddenly, I explained my project to her, and she even agreed for me to take a photo of her.
It’s amazing what a little bit of funny Cantonese language play can do! And using these tongue twisters among the locals shows off your language skills and gives you an instant connection with the culture.
This article will explore some of the most entertaining Cantonese tongue twisters that will have you tripping over your words, but in a good way! Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, these wordplays are guaranteed to put your Cantonese skills to the test. So, grab a notebook, put on your language-learning hat, and let’s get started!
More Sentences For Cantonese Tongue Twisters
| Sentence | Cantonese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Forty-four stone lions | 四十四隻石獅子 | sei3 sap6 sei3 zek3 sek6 si1 zi2 |
| Steamed live fish, live fish being steamed. | 生啫魚生魚啫 | saang1 ze1 jyu2 saang1 jyu4 ze1 |
| 800 soldiers rush up the northern slope | 八百標兵奔北坡 | baat3 baak3 biu1 bing1 ban1 bak1 bo1 |
| Selling twisted dough and buying flowers for mom. | 賣麻花買花媽 | maai6 maa4 faa1 maai5 faa1 maa1 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Cantonese Tongue Twisters
What Are Cantonese Tongue Twisters?
Cantonese tongue twisters are phrases or sentences designed to be difficult to pronounce quickly and accurately due to their use of similar sounds, tones, or complex structures. They are often used for language practice and as a fun linguistic challenge.
Why Are Cantonese Tongue Twisters Difficult?
Cantonese tongue twisters are challenging because they combine similar sounds and tones that are hard to differentiate, especially when spoken quickly. The language’s tonal nature makes it easy to confuse words that sound alike but have different meanings.
Can children learn Cantonese through tongue twisters?
Yes, Cantonese tongue twisters can be a fun way for children to practice pronunciation and become familiar with tones. Their playful nature makes them an engaging tool for language learning.
Let’s Recap
What have we learned today? Some really hard sentences in Cantonese will really put your fluency to the test. Disclaimer: Don’t try them without supervision! Just kidding, try them as many times as you want.
If these tongue-twisters didn’t get you hooked on this language, I can promise you that if you explore our Cantonese blog and learn more about it, you’ll be hungry for more Cantonese culture and language.
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