Golden Rule of becoming a native Cantonese speaker: Tones > Everything!
In this blog, we use Jyutping to indicate the pronunciation of Cantonese characters.
Previous lesson: Rimes with e
In this lesson, we talk about Rimes with i and o. Both are pretty intuitive for English speakers.
Rimes with i
For i, iu, im, in, ip, it, i sounds like “yee”. For example, “ee” in “see” or “keen”.
For ing and ik, i sound like “egg”. For example, “i” in “ignore” or “sing”.
| Jyutping | Sounds in English | Cantonese Example | Jyutping | Sounds in English | Cantonese Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | ee in see | 思 | ip | eep in weep | 攝 |
| iu | eal in seal | 燒 | it | eet in meet | 舌 |
| im | eam in beam | 閃 | ing | ing in sing | 升 |
| in | een in seen | 先 | ik | ic in acidic | 識 |
Rimes with o
Every Rime with o sounds like “oy” in “joy” or “ahoy”.
Except for ou, it sounds more like “oh”. For example, “ou” in “soul”.
| Jyutping | Sounds in English | Cantonese Example | Jyutping | Sounds in English | Cantonese Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| o | ee in see | 可 | ot | ought in thought | 渴 |
| oi | oy in joy | 開 | ok | orch in orchestra | 學 |
| on | on in gone | 看 | ou | ou in soul | 好 |
| ong | ong in long | 康 |
Learn a new word before you move on
Excuse me, it’s time for your daily dose of Cantonese vocab!
唔好意思, which means **Excuse me**!You can use it in many scenario, and politeness is always the key to success.
So again… 下次見!
Next lesson: Rimes with u
Further reading: Jyutping, The linguistic Society of Hong Kong
Please cite the source for reprints, feel free to verify the sources cited in the article, and point out any errors or lack of clarity of expression. You can comment in the comments section below or email to GreenMeeple@yahoo.com