Cyril Kotkov "Cantonese for everyday and for an occasion" St.Petersburg, Russia, 2006
a short sketch of Cantonese phonology:
there are 6 tones in Cantonese
5 levels
5------------------
4------------------
3------------------
2------------------
1------------------
1st tone: 5->3
2nd tone: 3 -> 5
3rd tone: 3 ->3
4th tone: 1 -> 1
5th tone: 1 -> 3
6th tone: 2->2
initials:
b[p], p[p'], m[m], f[f], d[t], t[t'], n[n], l[l], z[tş'], j[tś], q[tś'], s[s], x[ş], g[k], k[k'], ng[ŋ], h[h], gu[kw], ku[k'w], y[j], w[w].
vowels: a[a], ŏ], u[u], ai], ei [âi], éi [ei], oi [ŏi], ui [ui],
ao [au], eo [âu], iu[iu], ou[ou], êu[øy]
am [am], em[âm], ém[єm], im[im], m[m]
an [an], en [ân], in[in], on[ŏn], un [un], ün[yn], ên[øn]
ang [aŋ], eng[єŋ], éng[єŋ], ing[iŋ], ong[ŏŋ], ung[uŋ], êng[œŋ], ng[ŋ]
ab[ap], eb[âp], éb[єp], ib[ip]
ad[at], ed[ât], éd[єt], id[it], od[ŏt], ud[ut], üd[yt], êd[øt]
ag[ak], eg[âk], ég[єk], ig[ik], og[ŏk], ug[uk], êg[œk]
here are some quotations from this book:
Nei5 hou2 How r u?
Zou2 sen4 - Good morning
Zoi3 gin3 - See u
Bai bai - Bye, this form obviously comes from English 'bye', it is usually siad without any tone.
nei5 - you,
hou2 - good,
Nei5 dim2 a3? How r u?
Hou2 hou2. Very well.
Nei5 ne1? And what about you?
Ngo5 dou1 gei2 hou2. I'm OK too.
dim2 - how
a3 - y/n question sentence final particle
ne1 - question sentence final particle
dou1 - also, too
ngo5 - I
gei2 - very ~ hou2 - 'good'
Nei5 sen1 tei2 hou2 ma1? How is your health?
Gei2 hou2. OK.
Nei5 sen1 tei2 hou2 m4 hou2? Your health is good or no good?
Hou2 hou2. OK.
sen1 tei2 - body, health
m - no ~ Mandarin 'bu'
this 'm' is a nasal voice, pronounced like 'hm' without any use of lips
A3 sang1 céng2 men6 guei3 xing4 a3? Mister, may I ask, what is your surname?
Ngo5 xing4 Wong4. Néi1 hei6 ngo5 gé3 ked1 pin3-2. My surname is Wong. This is my cut-away.
Néi5 giu3 med1 méng4-2 a? What is you name?
Ngo5 giu3... My name is...
xin1 sang1/sang1 - mister
a - a particle (?)
céng2 - permission, please
men6 - to ask
guei3 - dear
xing4 - surname
med1 - what
méng4-2 - name
hei6 - to be
ngo3 gé3 - my
gé3 - posessive marker
ked1 pin3-2 - cut away
néi1 - this
giu3 - to name, to call