Cantonese/Lesson 2/Conversation

Buildup
(At a party in Hong Kong)

Recapitulation
(At a party in Hong Kong)

b, d, g, j
b, d, g, and j (IPA: [p],[t],[k], and [tɕ] ), sounds in Cantonese are voicless, in contrast to the voiced English sounds spelled with the same letters. The tongue position for Cantonese b and g sounds is the same as for English. For the d sound the tongue tip is more forward in Cantonese than in English--against the base of the upper teeth for Cantonese, on the dental ridge for English. The tongue position for the j sound has been discussed in Lesson 1. All of the above sounds are unaspirated, as are the English counterparts. But the Cantonese and English sounds contrast with respect to tenseness--the Cantonese initial consonants are tense while the English lax in isolated words and in stressed positions of a sentence.

p, t, k, ch
Cantonese p, t, k, and ch sounds (IPA: [pʰ],[tʰ],[kʰ], and [tɕʰ] ) are similar to English counterparts p, t, k, ch as they are both voiceless and aspirated. The tonguie position for p and k is the same as for English. For the t sound the tongue tip is more forward in Cantonese than in English--against the base of the upper teeth for Cantonese, on the dental ridge for English. The tongue position for ch has been discussed in Lesson 1. The Cantonese consonants are tenser than the English counterparts.

un
un as in Yahtbún and Yahtbúnyàhn is a two part final composed of a high back rounded vowel (IPA: [u] ) by the alveolar nasal consonant (IPA: [n] ). When the two are together there is a slight offglide to the high central position (IPA: [uːin] ). The vowel is not nasalized before nasal final. The Cantonese 'un' is roughly comparable to the `oon` in English (e.g. `boon`).

Listen and compare
 * 1) bún (本), boon
 * 2) boon, bún (本)

eui
The lips should be rounded throughout the final. Remember that the i of eui represents the high front rounded vowel (IPA: [y] ).

Listen and repeat
 * 1) kéuih 佢
 * 2) deuim̀hjyuh 對唔住
 * 3) deui 對

iu
iu is a two-part final composed of the high front unrounded vowel (IPA: [i] ) plus the high back rounded vowel (IPA: [u] ). In this sequence the i is pronounced as an onglide, with the longest portion being the u.

Listen and repeat
 * 1) síujé
 * síu

Tones
Listen and repeat
 * 1) dōu dōu, sing sing, haih haih
 * 2) dōu sing haih, haih sing dōu
 * 3) dōu sing, sing haih, dōu haih, haih dōu
 * 4) dōu dōu, Jèung Jèung
 * 5) Jèung, dōu, dōu Jèung
 * 6) síu síu, néih néih
 * 7) síu néih, néih síu
 * 8) haih yàhn, yàhn haih