The way cantonese and mandarin is written is very similar when ignoring slang words and particles. Most cantonese/mandarin only words have a one to one correlation, following are some of the most common examples:

English Written Spokensample

sentence (Eng)

sample sentence (written)

sample sentence (spoken)

-’s (possessive particle)

的 dik1

嘅 ge3

my youth 我的童年 ngo5 dik1 tung4 nin4

我嘅童年 ngo5 ge3 tung4 nin4

also; moreover; still 還waan4

仲zung6

three more hours

還有三個小時waan4 jau5 saam1

go3 siu2 si4

仲有三個鐘zung6 jau5 saam1

go3 zung1

don’t 不要bat1 jiu3

唔好m4 hou2

Don’t move 不要動bat1 jiu3 dung6

唔好郁m4 hou2 juk1

he / she / it (animal) / it

(inanimate object）他／她／牠／它

taa1佢

keoi5she waited for

a long time

她等了很久taa1 dang2 liu5 han2

gau2

佢等咗好耐keoi5 dang2 zo2

hou2 noi6

how 怎麼zam2 mo1

點dim2

How to use this?

這個怎麼用？ze2 go3 zam2 mo1

jung6

呢個點用？ni1 go3 dim2 jung6

now 現在jin6 zoi6

而家 ji4 gaa1

go to cinema now

現在去戲院jin6 zoi6 heoi3 hei3

jyun2

而家去戲院ji4 gaa1 heoi3 hei3

jyun2

this 這ze2

呢 ni1

How to use this?

這個怎麼用？ze2 go3 zam2 mo1

jung6

呢個點用？ni1 go3 dim2 jung6

to be 是si6

係 hai6

Who is she? 她是誰？taa1 si6 seoi4

佢係邊個？keoi5 hai6 bin1 go3

to come 來loi4

嚟 lei4

I come with him我和他一起來

ngo5 wo4 taa1 jat1 hei2 loi4

我同佢一齊嚟ngo5 tung4 keoi5 jat1

cai4 lei4

to eat 吃hek3

食 sik6

go to eat 去吃飯heoi3 hek3 faan6

去食飯heoi3 sik6 faan6

to give 給kap1

俾／畀 bei2

I give him a gift我給他一份禮物

ngo5 kap1 taa1 jat1 fan6 lai5 mat6

我俾佢一份禮物ngo5 bei2 keoi5 jat1

fan6 lai5 mat6

to move 動dung6

郁 juk1

Don’t move 不要動bat1 jiu3 dung6

唔好郁m4 hou2 juk1

to not have 沒有mut6 jau5

冇 mou5

I don’t have money

我沒有錢ngo5 mut6 jau5 cin2

我冇錢ngo5 mou5 cin2

to take; to pick up 拿naa4

攞 lo2

I come to pick up the

medicine

我來拿藥ngo5 loi4 naa4 joek6

我嚟攞藥ngo5 lei2 lo2 joek6

together 一起jat1 hei2

一齊 jat1 cai4

they come together

她們一起來taa1 mun4 jat1 hei2

loi4

佢哋一齊嚟keoi5 dei6 jat1 cai4

lei4

very; quite (+ 很 好 I am very 我很開心 我好開心

adjective) han2 hou2 happy ngo5 han2 hoi1 sam1 ngo5 hou2 hoi1 sam1

what 什麼 sam6 mo1

乜／咩mat1 / me1

What is that?那個是什麼？

naa5 go3 si6 sam6 mo1

嗰個係乜？go2 go3 hai6 mat1

yesterday 昨天zok3 tin1

尋日／琴日cam4 jat6 / kam4 jat6

I went to the bank yesterday

我昨天去了銀行ngo5 zok3 tin1 heoi3

liu5 ngan4 hong4

我尋日去咗銀行ngo5 cam4 jat6 heoi3

zo2 ngan4 hong4