Unique Phrases and Expressions
Due to Hong Kong's unique historical background, Hong Kong Cantonese has evolved differently from the Chinese spoken in China, Taiwan and Singapore over the years. Hong Kong Cantonese has developed a number of phrases and expressions that are unique to the context of Hong Kong. These phrases and expressions usually make references to specific things that can only be found in Hong Kong or specific incidents that happened in Hong Kong.
Here are a few examples:
| Characters | Jyutping | literal meaning | actual meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 食皇家飯 | sik6 wong4 gaa1 faan6 | eating Royal meal | being imprisoned |
| 話知你九七 | waa6 zi1 nei5 gau2 cat1 | Who cares about your 1997? | Who cares? |
Here, the former refers to Hong Kong's status as a British colony, whose figurehead is the Royal Family, and the latter refers to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China in 1997. The situations alluded to are both unique to Hong Kong.
Read more about this topic: Hong Kong Cantonese
Famous quotes containing the words unique, phrases and/or expressions:
“The unique eludes us; yet we remain faithful to the ideal of it; and in spite of sense and of our merely abstract thinking, it becomes for us the most real thing in the actual world, although for us it is the elusive goal of an infinite quest.”
—Josiah Royce (1855–1916)
“She loved Cecil; George made her nervous; will the reader explain to her that the phrases should have been reversed?”
—E.M. (Edward Morgan)
“Those expressions are omitted which can not with propriety be read aloud in the family.”
—Thomas Bowdler (1754–1825)