Cantonese 1

Session: 20 new remaining of the 20/day cap · 0 learning waiting · 126 reviews due.

Click Cantonese::Level1. No learning queue today, so new cards will interleave with the 126 reviews.

This is a second sheet for the same calendar day (HSK 4 is 2026-09-05.md). Do not mix the two decks in one Anki session.

Session plan

• Reviews first only if Anki throws them first — there is nothing in learning. When a new one pops, match it to the number below.
• Today's killer cluster is particles: 啫 / 啊 / 吖 / 既. Same "aa/ze/ge" mouth, four jobs. Drill those as a set.
• 係-family: 我係 / 就係. This is 是, not Mandarin 系.
• Money: 蚊 (the dollar) vs 錢 (money-stuff) vs 單 (the bill). Deck ruby on 單 is wrong — see #19.
• Tone pair for later: 蚊 man1 vs 問 man6.

1. 蚊（man1）

mosquito; a dollar · nyamuk; dolar

Example: 開戶至少要一百蚊。 — Opening an account requires at least one hundred dollars.

• CJK: Same 蚊 as Mandarin wén (mosquito only). Canto loaded dollar onto it (from old 文 cash-coin). Mandarin says 块 / 元. Teochew 蚊 is the bug; HK 一百蚊 is money.
• Fun fact: 一蚊, 十蚊, 一百蚊. You can still slap a real mosquito and use the same syllable. Context is the whole card.
• Memorize: Slap your arm (bug), then pinch a coin: same man1. If a bank is talking, it's money.
• Study tip: 蚊 is the unit. 錢 (#11) is the stuff in your pocket. 我冇帶錢 vs 呢件一百蚊.

2. 女（neoi5 / deck neoi2）

girl; woman · perempuan; gadis

Example: 呢個女仔好有禮貌，成日笑咪咪。 — This girl is very polite and always smiling.

• CJK: 女 = Mandarin nǚ. Isolation reading in Canto is neoi5. This deck prints neoi2 — that's the changed tone you actually hear in 女仔 neoi5*2 zai2. Don't "correct" the card to nǚ.
• Fun fact: 女仔 = girl. 女 as "prostitute" is context only; the example is just a polite 女仔. Ignore the CEDICT extra unless the sentence is seedy.
• Memorize: Point at a girl: 女仔. Tone 2 in the compound, tone 5 if you say 女 alone like a dictionary.
• Study tip: 女 vs 女仔 vs 女人. 呢個女 is abrupt; 呢個女仔 is the example's shape.

3. 洗（sai2）

wash · mencuci; mandi

Example: 有冇人洗過呢件衫？ — Has anyone washed this shirt?

• CJK: 洗 = xǐ. Canto sai2. Teochew soi2. Same character, your mouth already has it.
• Fun fact: Clothes 洗衫. Hands 洗手. A shower is often 冲凉 / 冲凉, not 洗澡 — 洗 is still the "wash this object" verb on this card.
• Memorize: Scrub a shirt: 洗。有冇人洗過 — the 過 is "already done."
• Study tip: 有冇人 + verb过 is the yes-no. Don't swap in Mandarin 洗了没有 on the card.

4. 啫（ze1）

particle: that's all / merely · cuma; begitu saja

Example: 我講笑啫，唔好咁認真啦。 — I was only joking; don't take it so seriously.

• CJK: Canto-only particle. Looks like 口 + 者. Not 着 zhe, not 堵.
• Fun fact: Softens the whole sentence to "it's just X." 講笑啫 = I'm only kidding. Drop 啫 and it can sound like a real claim.
• Memorize: Shrug, palms up: 啫. The "don't be so serious" wave.
• Study tip: Cluster with 啊 / 吖. 啫 = downplay. 啊 = punch / surprise. 吖 = "no, listen."

5. 啊（aa3 / aa1 / aa2 / aa4）

final particle; "ah!" · partikel; ah!

Example: 啊！我想起喇！ — Ah! Now I remember!

• CJK: Same 啊 as Mandarin a. Canto keeps several tones on one character; this card lists aa3 aa1 aa2 aa4.
• Fun fact: Today's example is the interjection 啊! (remembering). At the end of a sentence it is a different job (soft question / insistence). One glyph, several buttons.
• Memorize: Finger snap: 啊！想起喇. Don't use this when you meant 啫 or 吖.
• Study tip: If the sentence is "I was only joking," that's 啫. If it's "wait, I got it," that's 啊.

6. 我係（ngo5 hai6）

I am · saya adalah

Example: 唔係，我係醫生嚟㗎。 — No, I'm a doctor.

• CJK: 我 = wǒ / ngo5. 係 = hai6 = Mandarin 是. Not 系 xì (system) and not 关系's 系. JP 係 is a different can of worms; here it is just "be."
• Fun fact: 唔係 first, then 我係 — classic correction. 嚟㗎 on the end is extra Canto frosting; the card wants 我係.
• Memorize: Thumb to chest: 我係. Shake head 唔係, then the same 係.
• Study tip: Pair with 就係 (#18). 我係 = identity. 就係 = "this is exactly the one."

7. 比（bei2）

than; to compare · dari; membandingkan

Example: 佢比我高成半個頭。 — He's a good half a head taller than me.

• CJK: Same 比 as Mandarin bǐ. Canto bei2. Pattern A 比 B + adj, identical to HSK 比.
• Fun fact: Spoken Canto also loves 高過我. This card is the 比-shape, which you'll see in mixed HK speech and in writing.
• Memorize: Two heights, hand chopping the gap: 比我高.
• Study tip: 比我高 not 比我高过. 成半個頭 = a whole half-head — don't translate 成 as "become" here.

8. 以（ji5）

to use; so as to — but today's sentence is 以為 · kira / pikir (salah)

Example: 我以為你今日唔使返工。 — I thought you didn't have to work today.

• CJK: 以 = yǐ / ji5. The example is the compound 以為 ji5 wai4 = Mandarin 以为 (I had thought, and I was wrong).
• Fun fact: Bare 以 (so as to / by means of) is written, stiff. This card's audio/example is almost certainly 以為. Don't memorize "according to" from this sentence.
• Memorize: Wrong-thought face: 我以為. Then correction.
• Study tip: 以為 ≠ 知道. If it turned out true, you wouldn't lead with 以為.

9. 睇下（tai2 haa5）

take a look · lihat dulu; cek

Example: 你睇下呢張相有冇問題。 — Take a look at this photo and see if there's any problem.

• CJK: 睇 is Canto for 看 kàn. Mandarin 睇 is rare/literary. 下 = the "for a sec" from 一下.
• Fun fact: 睇戲, 睇書, 睇醫生. Once 睇 unlocks, a lot of 看-sentences just swap the verb.
• Memorize: Point at a photo, lean in: 睇下.
• Study tip: 睇下 is the casual check. 睇完 is finished looking. Don't write 看一下 on this card.

10. 吖（aa1）

particle: consent or denial · partikel (bukan / dengar dulu)

Example: 唔係吖，我真係冇去過。 — No — I really haven't been there.

• CJK: Mouth + 丫. Not 啊, not 呀 (you'll meet 呀 constantly in L1 too). This one is the 唔係吖 "no, listen" button.
• Fun fact: 吖 often shows up when you push back: 唔係吖. 啊 was "aha"; 吖 is "nah / come on."
• Memorize: Head shake plus 吖. Same vowel family as 啊, different character, different job.
• Study tip: Drill 講笑啫 / 啊！想起 / 唔係吖 as three recordings in your head before you rate any of them.

11. 錢（cin4 → spoken cin2）

money · uang

Example: 我冇帶錢出街，你可唔可以幫我畀先？ — I didn't bring any money out; can you pay first?

• CJK: 錢 = 钱 qián. Canto citation cin4, changed tone cin2 in real speech. Teochew jin5.
• Fun fact: 畀先 = pay first (畀 = 给). 出街 = go out. The grammar around 錢 is "bring / have," not the dollar count.
• Memorize: Empty pockets: 冇帶錢. Then 蚊 for how many dollars.
• Study tip: 錢 vs 蚊 vs 單. Pocket / unit / the slip of paper.

12. 本（bun2）

origin; local; (also classifier for books) · asal; lokal

Example: 我哋要保護本地文化，唔好一味跟外國。 — We should protect our local culture, not blindly follow foreign trends.

• CJK: 本 = běn / bun2. 本地 = local. Classifier 一本書 is the same 本 you already know from HSK.
• Fun fact: This card's example is 本地, not the book classifier. Same character, two lives. 日本's 本 is this 本 too.
• Memorize: Stamp "LOCAL" on a map: 本地.
• Study tip: If you answer "a book," check the sentence. 呢本既 (#15) is the book-classifier 本.

13. 打算（daa2 syun3）

plan to; intend · berencana

Example: 我打算下個月搬屋。 — I plan to move house next month.

• CJK: Exact twin of Mandarin 打算 dǎsuàn. Canto daa2 syun3. 搬屋 = 搬家.
• Fun fact: 算 is "calculate"; 打+算 = you've done the math in your head, so it's a plan. Same joke in Mandarin.
• Memorize: Calendar + moving boxes: 打算搬屋.
• Study tip: 打算 + verb. 我打算去 is the pattern. Not 打算 to mean 计划 as a noun unless the sentence does that.

14. 講嘢（gong2 je5）

talk; speak · ngomong

Example: 你係咪聽緊我講嘢㗎？ — Are you listening to me talking?

• CJK: 講 = 讲 jiǎng / gong2. 嘢 = Canto "stuff / things" (the 物 you actually say). 講嘢 = 说话.
• Fun fact: 聽緊 = listening-progressive (緊 ≈ 着). 係咪 … 㗎 is the yes-no wrapper. The payload is 講嘢.
• Memorize: Moving mouth + 嘢 as a blob of "content." Not 讲课, just talking.
• Study tip: 講 vs 講嘢. 講 can take an object (講中文). 講嘢 is intransitive "talking." 你講嘢呀? can be a complaint.

15. 既（gei3）

written stand-in for 嘅 ge3 · varian 嘅

Example: 呢本既內容好有趣。 — This book's content is very interesting.

• CJK: Do not read as Mandarin 既 jì (既然, already). In this deck it's a spelling of 嘅. Real particle is ge3. 既 gei3 is the dictionary pronunciation of the Mandarin character, which is why the ruby looks cursed.
• Fun fact: Older HK typing / some subtitles write 既 for 嘅. 呢本嘅內容 = 这本书的. Same as #16's 嘅.
• Memorize: Cross out 既, write 嘅. If you hear Mandarin 既然, wrong language.
• Study tip: Same session as 佢嘅. If the card shows 既, answer it as 嘅.

16. 佢嘅（keoi5 ge3）

his / her / its · miliknya

Example: 我唔記得咗佢嘅電話號碼。 — I forgot his phone number.

• CJK: 佢 = Canto he/she (Mandarin 他/她). 嘅 = 的. JP 彼の is the vibe, not the characters.
• Fun fact: Canto doesn't split 他/她 in speech. 佢嘅 covers both. 咗 is the perfective (了).
• Memorize: Point at someone, then at "their" phone: 佢嘅.
• Study tip: 我嘅 / 你嘅 / 佢嘅. 既 (#15) is the ugly spelling of this 嘅.

17. 無（mou4）

not have; none · tidak ada; tidak punya

Example: 我真係無呃你。 — I'm really not lying to you.

• CJK: 無 = 无 wú. Canto literary mou4. What you say all day is 冇 mou5. This card chose the 無 spelling; the example even writes 無呃你.
• Fun fact: 呃 = to cheat / lie. 真係無呃你 = I'm really not bullshitting you. Speech: 我真係冇呃你.
• Memorize: Empty hands: 冇. When the character is 無, still hear mou.
• Study tip: Don't turn this into Mandarin 没有 on the back. 無/冇 is the Canto negator-of-have / blunt "not."

18. 就係（zau6 hai6）

exactly is; this is the one · tepatnya; persis

Example: 呢個就係我同你講嗰間餐廳。 — This is exactly the restaurant I told you about.

• CJK: 就係 = Mandarin 就是. 就 zau6, 係 hai6. 嗰間 = that (classifier 間).
• Fun fact: Finger-stabbing word. 我係 (#6) introduces you. 就係 points at the thing you already mentioned.
• Memorize: Point hard at a shopfront: 就係呢間.
• Study tip: 就係 vs 係. If you can insert "exactly / that's the one," it's 就係.

19. 單（daan1）

bill; list; form · tagihan; nota

Example: 我買咗單。 — I bought the ticket / paid the bill. (deck English says ticket)

• CJK: 單 = 单. Spoken Canto for this meaning is daan1 (菜單, 買單, 工單). The deck ruby is sin4 — that's the other word 單 as a surname (usually sin6). Trust the example, not the ruby.
• Fun fact: 買單 / 買單 = get the bill (or "it's on me" depending on scene). 一張單 = a form. Frequency 326 puts this with everyday paper, not the surname.
• Memorize: Waiter dropping a slip: 單. Say daan1. If you say sin, you've named a person.
• Study tip: Cluster with 蚊 / 錢. 錢 in the pocket, 蚊 the amount, 單 the paper.

20. 問（man6）

to ask · bertanya

Example: 有問題就嚟問我。 — Come and ask me if you have any questions.

• CJK: 問 = 问 wèn / man6. JP 問う とう. Same 門 with a mouth.
• Fun fact: Last card sits next to 蚊 man1 in your mouth. Tone 1 = mosquito/dollar. Tone 6 = ask. That pair will haunt you if you don't pin it tonight.
• Memorize: Knock on a door (門) and open your 口: 問. Then contrast 蚊.
• Study tip: 問人, 問路, 問問題. 有問題就嚟問我 is the safe sentence. Don't use 问 for "question" as a noun — that's 問題.