A truly place of encounter , Hong Kong makes the best out of the East and West creating a new experience of learning languages.


It has always put me into astonishment when friends and strangers ask me whether we in Hong Kong speak Japanese or some other tongues - oh, please - Hong Kong has been Chinese, is Chinese and will be Chinese even under British rule or not.
To be more precise , we in Hong Kong speak Cantonese, a distinct dialect which is also spoken across the border in Guangdong province as well as most oversea Chinese. English isonly second official language. But propably the most interesting language spoken in the territory is Chinglish spoken by many in Hong Kong. It is a mixture of Chinese and English words ,either using the Chinese grammar or the English grammar if your mother-tongue happens to be English. The choice of words is pretty infinite. One can either substitute the verbs, adverbs, nouns or whatsoever one delights. There is almost no wrong doing as long as you don't over capacitate your audience. If used rightly your Honkie friends will love to communicate with you the whole night long. Sure, for most newly arrivals they may fell quite helpless encuontering not only a strange and hostile environment but also have to deal with a highly incomprehensible jibble. Of course it takes long and ardous efforts to learn this language, but once accomplished life in this fast paced city seems to be much more fun and easier.

Here are some basic vocabulary for beginners.

• Amah:
  
  house servants, doctors, lawers and professors from the Philippines who make more money by scrubbing loos in Hong Kong.

• Banana:
  
  Chinese who grew up in a western country (outside yellow, inside white)

• Hamsap:
  
  horny person

• Labsaap:
  
  trash, bitch or jerk

• Baatpoh:
  
  bitch

  

• Gwailow:
  
  "devil man"; generic or belligerent (depending on the tone of voice) term for foreigners

• Gwaipoh:
  
  female gwailow

• Filth:
  
  discrimination against the English (failed in London, try Hong Kong)

Well, I hope that next time if you should have the chance to visit this so interesting territory don't foget this few words, you might be surprised what effect you can create by using only little but impactfull words.

SÜ