Instant! Cantonese. Nick Ph.D. Theobald

wait a moment.

      Dung dung mm-goy.

      It’s near …

      Gun jew …

      It’s opposite …

      Doy mean …

      This corner please.

      June waan mm-goy.

      Keep going.

      Check hoy.

      I’ll show you. (i.e.: You drive, I’ll show you.)

      Or die nay hoy.

      Star Ferry.

      Teen sing ma tow.

      (Tow as in tower.)

      Sorry, I was here first.

      Doy-mm-jew, or seen.

      How’s the traffic?

      Suck-mm-suck chair?

      Where’s the traffic jam?

      Been dough suck chair?

      How much?

      Gay cheen?

      Receipt please.

      Hoy jerng darn mm-goy.

      (It’s polite to ask this next one in case you’ve only got a $500 or $1,000 note in Hong Kong for instance, before the cab sets off.)

      Do you have change?

      Yow mo duck tzow?

      Keep the change.

      Mm-say-ee jow.

      Further Taxis

      The dynamic duo behind Instant! Cantonese, wish to get those who have bought our book to become more involved with the great town of Hong Kong and its underpaid cabbies. For instance, most foreign devils jump into a cab and just say the place to where they want to go. So in Hong Kong, here’s how to say, “Take me to … such and such a place.“

      Take me to … Queen’s Road East.

      Chair or hoy … Wong how die dough doong.

      Take me to Bonham Road.

      Chair or hoy Poon-ham dough.

      Take me to Hollywood Road.

      Chair or hoy Haw-lay-wood dough.

      Take me to Central.

      Chair or hoy Chung Waan.

      Take me to Admiralty.

      Chair or hoy Gum Joong.

      Take me to Causeway Bay.

      Chair or hoy Tung Low Waan.

      Take me to Wan Chai.

      Chair or hoy Waan Tzie.

      Take me to Tsim Sha Tsui.

      Chair or hoy Jim Sar Joy.

      (Note: never refer to it as TST or worse still Chim-see. Both far too Sloane Ranger-ish to be even remotely cool. The horror, the horror.)

      Take me to Happy Valley.

      Chair or hoy Pow Ma Day.

      Take me to Quarry Bay.

      Chair or hoy Jutt You Choong.

      Take me to the Airport.

      Chair or hoy Gay Churng.

      Take me to the Airport Express.

      Chair or hoy Gay Tit.

      Dough=Road. Guy=Street.