唔該 literally means "this should not be done", a way of saying it was kind of someone to do it. It also means please and excuse me.
| Cantonese | English | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| 唔該 | Thanks, please, excuse me | Someone serves you or helps you, or you ask for something |
| 唔該晒 | Thanks a lot | You want to thank someone warmly for their help |
| 多謝 | Thank you | You get a gift, a treat, a compliment, or someone offers you something as a host |
| Cantonese | English | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 你好！我同佢要蝦餃。唔該。 | Hello! He and I will have shrimp dumplings, please. | Ordering dim sum |
| 唔該，我哋想要一壺熱嘅菊花茶。 | Excuse me, we would like a pot of hot chrysanthemum tea. | Calling a server |
| 增值100蚊，唔該晒。 | Top up 100 dollars, thank you so much. | At an MTR service desk |
| 好呀，唔該晒你。 | Great, thanks a lot. | A friend offers to wash your cup at dim sum |
| 多謝。你要唔要凍檸茶？ | Thank you. Would you like an iced lemon tea? | A cafe owner, after a compliment |
In the last line, a customer has just said the boss is really nice to people. That is why the owner answers with 多謝 and not 唔該. In the dim sum lesson below, Ah Ming says 多謝你 when the waiter offers tea, because the tea is offered as hospitality.
A Real Cantonese Lesson
Ordering at a Restaurant
Ah Ming went to a restaurant.
Hello! What would you like to eat?
Hello! He and I will have shrimp dumplings, please.
Sure. Would you like some tea?
Yes, please. Thank you.
Hear the Octopus card top-up in Level 3 of our guide to getting around Hong Kong, and the owner's 多謝 in Level 1 of our cha chaan teng guide. Start with the easiest way to learn Cantonese. More Hong Kong scenes are in our Cantonese guides.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Cantonese. You learn from Cantonese you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes the lessons.
- Lessons are written in everyday spoken Cantonese, in traditional characters.
- Jyutping or Yale shows the reading above every word.
- Read and listen to news from Hong Kong and stories about things you like.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading. You can also export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- It doesn't play shows, and a Cantonese comic or forum post can't become a lesson. Send Poppy a photo of a page, and she explains each line of it.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Jyutping
- Traditional characters
Mobile
How Do You Say These Words Out Loud?
The dim sum lesson above plays every line, so you can hear the tones. Cantonese has six of them, and our guide to Jyutping tones explains each one.
Which Cantonese App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Cantonese, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Cantonese app comparison covers more choices and what each one is good for.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bubblegum guide: How to Order Dim Sum (Levels 1, 2 and 4, with lesson notes on 唔該, 唔該晒 and 多謝)
- Bubblegum guide: Cha Chaan Teng, Street Food, and Eating in Hong Kong (Level 1)
- Bubblegum guide: Getting Around Hong Kong: MTR, Buses, and Directions (Level 3, with lesson notes)
- Wiktionary: 唔該 (Cantonese)
- Wiktionary: 多謝 (Cantonese)
