This guide is meant to help anyone at the beginning of the
Cantonese learning process find the right resources for learning the language.
This assumes you have no previous experience with another Chinese language;
Cantonese is not an easy language to learn, but the process
is incredibly rewarding. In addition to giving you a completely different
access point to the cultures of Hong Kong, Macau, southern mainland China, and
Chinese diaspora communities, studying Cantonese is also great exercise for
your brain. It’s got six tones—depending on what you count as a “tone”—meaning
English speakers are forced to develop a different conception of how pitch
relates to meaning.
There is no one path toward learning a language. It really
comes down to the individual needs of a learner, as well as where they live and
what they have access to. To that end, this guide is essentially a series
of lists of major resources aimed at
total beginners: Cantonese textbooks, dictionaries, apps and websites, study
centers, listening resources, and video resources. As time goes on, I will try
to review each of these resources more thoroughly, in which case I will add a
link to the in-depth review. Where possible, I’ve linked to the publishes’
website; otherwise, I’ve linked to major online retailers like Amazon, though
you may want to search around for a deal elsewhere if you can.
Most language teachers talk about four skills when it comes
to learning a language: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Cantonese
has long been treated almost entirely as an oral language, so pedagogy has
mostly focused on speaking and listening. Reading and writing get tricky
because written colloquial Cantonese is very different from standard
written Chinese; the former tends to appear in online fora and contemporary
news media, while the latter is used in formal writings, official documents,
historical texts (and roughly the same as the formal written Chinese used by
Mandarin speakers in mainland China and Taiwan, if we ignore the
simplified/traditional character divide). If you do eventually want to be able
to read Chinese characters in Cantonese, then make sure to pick resources that
have characters and not just romanization.
Textbooks
Cantonese learning books have been experiencing somewhat of
a renaissance of late. The books I’ve listed here are those that offer the
tools necessary for building basic Cantonese knowledge from the ground up. Once
you get the hang of the basic sounds and grammar, there are a wealth of other
books for you to explore (you can find some of them elsewhere on CantoBlog with
tags like “Intermediate Cantonese” and “Advanced Cantonese”).
One thing to keep in mind: Cantonese textbooks often diverge
in terms of which romanization system they use, the Yale system or Jyutping.
I’ve tried to make a note where possible of which textbook uses which. However,
you should probably get comfortable with both systems at some point if you want
to be able to make use of all the books out there.
Complete Cantonese (Formerly Teach Yourself Cantonese), by Hugh Baker and Ho Pui-Kei
Publisher: Teach Yourself
Date of most recent edition: 2016
Romanization: Yale
Audio: Streams from app or online (older versions have a CD)
The 2011 edition of this course was my first Cantonese
textbook ever way back when. It’s quite comprehensive, covering lots of major
topics you might want to know about, from shopping to moving to office
chitchat. It offers dialogs, readings, speaking exercises, and lots of cultural
explanations. Text appears with romanization, Chinese characters, and in many
cases, English translation. The extensive Chinese character offerings are by no
means universal in Cantonese textbooks, so this is a great choice if you also
hope to be able to read written Cantonese.
It has one major weakness: it includes a seventh tone—the
high falling tone—that nearly all other modern Cantonese learning resources no
longer include, as it has mostly fallen out of use in contemporary usage (the
few places where it may still appear—like in the word 㖭 at the end
of sentences—are incredibly idiomatic and can be picked up with practice). One
Amazon reviewer suggested taking a pen to the book and changing all high
falling tones to high flat tones (as that’s how most are pronounced now).
If you can put up with that one small inconvenience, the
book is worth it, especially now that their old CD audio files have been re-recorded
and turned into an app you can download for your smartphone or tablet.
Colloquial Cantonese, by Dana Scott Bourgerie, Keith S. T. Tong, and Gregory James
Publisher: Routledge
Date of most recent edition: 2015
Romanization: Yale
Audio: MP3s available to download online, older versions
come with CDs
This textbook is also a solid choice, with great dialogues,
listening exercises, and cultural information (like a now outdate MTR map;
those new stations keep opening up…). It keeps usage of Chinese characters to a
minimum (meaning many dialogues only appear as romanization), but it does have
little “Recognizing Chinese Character” sections for important things like
transportation, food, etc.
One of the excellent features of this book is that it will
explain new Cantonese vocabulary within paragraphs of English prose that offer
helpful cultural background information about Hong Kong. This casual mixing of
Cantonese and English happens a lot IRL, so it’s not too weird within the
context of the book. Overall, this is a solid choice for someone moving to Hong
Kong who cares more about speaking than ever reading extensive texts in Chinese
characters.
Basic Cantonese: A Grammar and Workbook, by Virginia Yip and Stephen Matthews
Publisher: Routledge
Date of most recent edition: 2017
Romanization: Yale
Audio: None
Because this book offers no audio recordings, it should
really be treated as a supplement to another Cantonese course rather than a
stand-alone textbook. It is also structured around grammar—chapter titles
include “Noun classifiers,” “Adjectives,” etc.—so it really is more of a resource
for formalizing your understanding of Cantonese mechanics rather than helping
you talk about particular subjects.
I highly recommend this book for people attempting to bring
more academic formality to their study of Cantonese. The level of linguistic
detail far exceeds many other textbooks, and the ample number of exercises
means you have plenty of opportunities to test your understanding of the rules.
If you want Chinese characters and not just romanization,
make sure to get the 2nd edition (2017); the previous edition
provides romanization only.
Cantonese in Communication, by the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Publisher: The Commercial Press
Date of most recent edition: 2018
Romanization: Yale
Audio: Scan a QR code in the book to access online audio
If you are in Hong Kong and take Cantonese at CUHK, you will
likely use this book. CUHK is one of the epicenters of contemporary Cantonese
pedagogy in Hong Kong, so this book reflects the considerable experience of the
teachers at its publishing institution. That being said, it really is designed
for classroom use—it might not be as good for self-study.
This textbook is very methodical. Each chapter is structured
as follows: Contexts and linguistics functions; Texts (i.e. dialogues);
Vocabulary in us; Notes on language structure; Notes on pragmatic knowledge;
Contextualized speaking practice; Listening and speaking. Lessons are centered
around specific functions and tasks (e.g. touring Hong Kong, introducing
oneself) rather offering a buffet of themed vocabulary for you to mix and
match.
This textbook does include Chinese characters, but because
it is for oral Cantonese, the stress is much more on speaking and listening
than it is on reading. If you have a teacher to speak with, I think this could
be a great book to use.
Dictionaries
As with the textbooks above, I’ve tried to note the
romanization method used in each of these dictionaries. When you’re just
beginning, it’s probably best that you pick a dictionary with the same
romanization method as the materials that you use.
Pleco (App)
Developer: Pleco Inc.
Most recent edition: Regularly updated
Romanization: Yale or Jyutping
Pleco is must for anyone studying Cantonese. It’s a
free app for iOS and Android that you can easily customize by downloading the
dictionaries you want (there are many, some free, some paid). For a detailed explanation of which
dictionaries to download and how to configure Cantonese to appear, check out
the CantoBlog guide here.
English-Cantonese Dictionary, by The Chinese University Press
Publisher: The Chinese University Press
Most recent edition: 2011
Romanization: Yale
If you like to have a paper dictionary flip through (always
great for browsing), this is a solid choice. Some of the phrases might feel a
little dated now, but it should be helpful enough for students just finding
their feet with Cantonese.
Apps and websites
Apps are a great way to tackle Cantonese learning when
you’re on the go. That being said, there aren’t as many apps for learning
Cantonese as there are for other East Asian languages; I’m still holding out
for something on the same level as Duo Lingo or Lingo Deer (the latter is
especially good for Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin).
Pleco
(See the entry above under “Dictionaries” for more details,
or go the CantoBlog guide to Pleco)
Developer: Glossika
Platform: Desktop browser
Romanization: Yale and Jyutping
If your goal is to improve your awareness of Cantonese pronunciation and tones, I think this is one of the best self-study tools on the market. However, it doesn't explain individual vocabulary or grammar, so it should be approached as a supplement to other resources. Read the Cantoblog review for a longer exploration of its features.
Drops
Developer: Drops
Platform: iOS/Android
Romanization: Jyutping
Drops is a vocabulary-building app that supports a number of
less frequently studied languages, including Cantonese. It focuses a lot on
matching words in your target language with pictures (rather than the direct
translation in English), which is a strategy I like a lot. However, a
few caveats to be aware of:
·
It focuses mostly on nouns and the occasional
verb, so use this more as a supplement to other modes of study that teach sentence construction.
·
The words they use in the later units are very
formal (basically standard written Chinese vocabulary pronounced in Cantonese rather
than colloquial Cantonese), so your speech might sound a bit stilted if you incorporate
some of these words into everyday conversatio.
·
The app is very spotty when it comes to characters
that switch tones in certain contexts (like sixth-tone characters that become a second tone at the end of a word). The audio is usually right when the
romanization is wrong, but that still creates some confusion.
How to Study Cantonese – Storybooks
Developer: How to Study Cantonese
Platform: Any device that can handle Epub file format
Romanization: Yale and Jyutping
How to Study Cantonese is a digital publishing house that
creates picture books written in colloquial Cantonese. The prices are a bit
steep given how short the texts are, but they come with Chinese characters, both
Jyutping and Yale romanization, English translations, and audio recordings. If
you get to a point where you want to start being able to read basic prose in
Cantonese, this is a solid place to start. I’d suggest going through it repeatedly
with the audio at first in order to simulate the experience of someone reading to you.
italki
Developer: italki
Platform: Android, iOS, Desktop
Romanization: Many
italki is a platform for finding private language tutors with
whom you can take electronic lessons. You buy credits through the app and spend
them on your tutor(s) of choice. Reviewers note a variety of experiences, so it
really comes down to what sort of tutor you find. If you (like most people) live in a place without access to formal Cantonese classes, this can offer you a resource for practicing your speech.
Lesson centers
If you especially want to improve your Cantonese speaking,
then lessons are very helpful. Tones are very important in Cantonese;
having a teacher present means someone can spot-check your sense of pitch. This
is especially critical just as you are starting out.
A lot of people who study Cantonese do so because they live
in or are moving to Hong Kong, in which case they are quite lucky—there are
plenty of places to take lessons in the S.A.R. For people elsewhere, you might
have to get a bit more creative.
University language programs in Hong Kong
The following language programs in Hong Kong offer
substantial training in Cantonese. I only have personal experience from the
CUHK program, which I liked a lot, but I know people who enjoyed other programs
as well. Also, following the COVID-19 pandemic, CUHK and other universities began offering remote classes that can be taken internationally, so try looking for one of those if possible.
University language programs in North America
Hong Kong remains the best place to get Cantonese language
education. However, the following university in North America also offer
Cantonese language instruction. You might have to check what course are open to
enrolled students vs. community members, and offerings are prone to change.
Private lessons
There are numerous language schools in Hong Kong that offer private
lessons, as well as tutors who work independently. Outside of Hong Kong,
offerings are probably more limited. Interested learners can try community
listings, sites like Craigslist (it’s how I found my first Mandarin in the US), or apps like italki (see under “Apps and websites”).
When evaluating a possible teacher, I recommend writing down
beforehand what your concrete goals are. During your first meeting, ask
the teacher what methods they might use to help you achieve these goals.
Finding the right teacher can take time, but it can make all the difference in terms
of helping you optimize the rate at which you acquire Cantonese.
Audio resources
When you’re just starting a language, it’s critical that you
get a sense for the sound. To that end, I highly recommend listening to at
least ten minutes of Cantonese audio daily, even if it’s just on in the
background while you do dishes or walk to the office. Below are various Hong
Kong radio stations with apps that let you listen from afar.
Readers
Actually reading Cantonese-specific characters is a skill that many learners choose not to work on, as most written documents and literature in Hong Kong use formal Chinese. However, a growing body of fiction, not to mention social media and fora, use written colloquial Cantonese. The following are a few books for practicing Cantonese reading, with some offering more guidance than others.
- Wedding Bells: Cantonese Reading Material for Intermediate and Advanced Learners
- A Feng Shui Master: Learning Cantonese Through Stories
- Resonate (Hong Kong's first colloquial Cantonese literary magazine; no English, so more for advanced learners)
- LIHKG (sort of like HK reddit, this is great reading practice; some content is questionable, so be forewarned)
Slang
Once you have learned the basics of Cantonese grammar and vocabulary, you'll likely want to learn some slang. While speaking with people is a great opportunity for learning these types of words and phrases (and also learning what slang has already become old-fashioned—Cantonese changes fast!), there are also some awesome books out there for giving you a leg up. These include:
Video resources
Videos require more attention than the radio or music, but
the addition of subtitles (in most cases) means you’re able to make more sense
of what’s going on. Here are a few place you can visit for Cantonese video
(some require memberships).
·
YouTube (various channels, but a few major ones
below)
o
毛記電視
o
視電台
·
一丁目
o
Great for local Hong Kong documentaries and
topical news
·
RTHK
·
ViuTV
·
TVB
·
Foreign-based streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon
Prime, and Crunchyroll
o
Just search for Cantonese films and TV shows
