Author Archive
Cantonese Rage
Not mine but I definitely can relate. As a side question, who doesn’t think that tones are the most difficult part of learning a Chinese language? That’s perhaps one of many misconceptions I’d like to dispel about Cantonese. Also, this opens up discussion about the utility of Cantonese, especially for foreigners. Some would say it’s [...]
Arguing
I remember one of the reasons I wanted to learn French was that it sounds so good when you argue! I found this intense duet by Edmond Leung and Miriam Yeung that gives Cantonese learners all the ammunition needed to argue with your SO.
Popup Cantonese dictionary for Chrome
Our partner at Cantonese Resources has an excellent entry up right now detailing how to get a utility that shows Cantonese pronunciation and definition when you mouseover any item. Check the entry for more information “Cantonese-English Popup Dictionary for Chrome” and check the blog for information on its Firefox counterpart. I’ve been looking for something [...]
How’s it going?
Hi all, there hasn’t been activity on the authors’ side lately, partly because for those of us in school it is now the start of midterm season (and if it’s not midterms it’s finals). I’d just like to share a comment one of my friends left me about the site: i browsed through the canto [...]
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋節快樂!!
Today is the holiday called the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrating the autumnal equinox. It is celebrated throughout China and Vietnam: in China it is called 中秋節 (zung1cau1zit3, Zhōngqiūjié), and in Vietnamese its name is “Tết Trung Thu”, literally Mid-Autumn Festival. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, which explains [...]
The Origin of the Name “Canton”
When words from a relatively phonetically flexible language, such as English, typically get imported into a Chinese language, there is usually an attempt made by the Chinese language to replicate the sound of the original language. Melliflous words such as “Italy” (意大利 yi3daai6lei6) have little problem adapting to the limited sound palette of Chinese languages, [...]
