This is a Swadesh list of words in Cantonese, compared with definitions in English.
American linguist Morris Swadesh believed that languages changed at measurable rates and that these could be determined even for languages without written precursors. Using vocabulary lists, he sought to understand not only change over time but also the relationships of extant languages. To be able to compare languages from different cultures, he based his lists on meanings he presumed would be available in as many cultures as possible. He then used the fraction of agreeing cognates between any two related languages to compute their divergence time by some (still debated) algorithms. Starting in 1950 with 165 meanings, his list grew to 215 in 1952, which was so expansive that many languages lacked native vocabulary for some terms. Subsequently, it was reduced to 207, and reduced much further to 100 meanings in 1955. A reformulated list was published posthumously in 1971.
| № | English | Cantonese 廣州話 / 广州话 (gwong2 zau1 waa6-2) edit (207) | IPA (key) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I (1sg) | 我 (ngo5) | ŋɔː¹³ |
| 2 | you (2sg) | 你 (nei5) | nei¹³ |
| 3 | he, she, it (3sg) | 佢 (keoi5) | kʰɵy¹³ |
| 4 | we (1pl) | 我哋 (ngo5 dei6) | ŋɔː¹³ tei²² |
| 5 | you (2pl) | 你哋 (nei5 dei6) | nei¹³ tei²² |
| 6 | they (3pl) | 佢哋 (keoi5 dei6) | kʰɵy¹³ tei²² |
| 7 | this | 呢 (ni1), 依 (ji1) | niː⁵⁵, jiː⁵⁵ |
| 8 | that | 嗰 (go2) | kɔː³⁵ |
| 9 | here | 呢度 (ni1 dou6), 依度 (ji1 dou6) | niː⁵⁵ tou²², jiː⁵⁵ tou²² |
| 10 | there | 嗰度 (go2 dou6) | kɔː³⁵ tou²² |
| 11 | who | 邊個 / 边个 (bin1 go3), 乜誰 / 乜谁 (mat1 seoi4-2) | piːn⁵⁵ kɔː³³, mɐt̚⁵ sɵy̯²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 12 | what | 乜 (mat1), 乜嘢 (mat1 je5), 咩 (me1) | mɐt⁵, mɐt⁵ jɛː¹³, mɛː⁵⁵ |
| 13 | where | 邊度 / 边度 (bin1 dou6), 邊 / 边 (bin1) | piːn⁵⁵ tou²², piːn⁵⁵ |
| 14 | when | 幾時 / 几时 (gei2 si4) | kei³⁵ siː²¹ |
| 15 | how | 點樣 / 点样 (dim2 joeng2), 點 / 点 (dim2) | tiːm³⁵ jœːŋ³⁵, tiːm³⁵ |
| 16 | not | 唔 (m4), 冇 (mou5) | m²¹, mou¹³ |
| 17 | all | 全部 (cyun4 bou6), 都 (dou1), 冚唪唥 (ham6 baang6 laang6) | tsʰyːn²¹ pou²², tou⁵⁵, hɐm²² päːŋ²² läːŋ²² |
| 18 | many | 多 (do1) | tɔː⁵⁵ |
| 19 | some | 啲 (di1) | tiː⁵⁵ |
| 20 | few | 少 (siu2) | siːu³⁵ |
| 21 | other | 其他 (kei4 taa1), 第二啲 (dai6 ji6 di1), 第啲 (dai6 di1) | kʰei²¹ tʰaː⁵⁵, tɐi²² jiː²² tiː⁵⁵, tɐi²² tiː⁵⁵ |
| 22 | one | 一 (jat1) | jɐt⁵ |
| 23 | two | 二 (ji6), 兩 / 两 (loeng5) | jiː²², lœːŋ¹³ |
| 24 | three | 三 (saam1) | saːm⁵⁵ |
| 25 | four | 四 (sei3) | sei³³ |
| 26 | five | 五 (ng5) | ŋ¹³ |
| 27 | big | 大 (daai6) | taːi²² |
| 28 | long | 長 / 长 (coeng4) | tsʰœːŋ²¹ |
| 29 | wide | 闊 / 阔 (fut3) | fuːt³ |
| 30 | thick | 厚 (hau5) | hɐu¹³ |
| 31 | heavy | 重 (cung5) | tsʰʊŋ¹³ |
| 32 | small | 細 / 细 (sai3) | sɐi³³ |
| 33 | short | 短 (dyun2) | tyːn³⁵ |
| 34 | narrow | 窄 (zaak3) | tsaːk³³ |
| 35 | thin | 薄 (bok6) | pɔːk²² |
| 36 | woman | 女人 (neoi5 jan4-2) | nɵy¹³ jɐn²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 37 | man (adult male) | 男人 (naam4 jan4-2) | naːm²¹ jɐn²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 38 | man (human being) | 人 (jan4) | jɐn²¹ |
| 39 | child | 細路 / 细路 (sai3 lou6), 細路仔 / 细路仔 (sai3 lou6 zai2) | sɐi³³ lou²², sɐi³³ lou²² tsɐi³⁵ |
| 40 | wife | 老婆 (lou5 po4) | lou¹³ pʰɔː²¹ |
| 41 | husband | 老公 (lou5 gung1) | lou¹³ kʊŋ⁵⁵ |
| 42 | mother | 阿媽 / 阿妈 (aa3 maa1), 老母 (lou5 mou5-2) (non-face-to-face) | aː³³ maː⁵⁵, lou¹³ mou¹³⁻³⁵ |
| 43 | father | 阿爸 (aa3 baa4), 老豆 (lou5 dau6) (non-face-to-face) | aː³³ paː²¹, lou¹³ tɐu²² |
| 44 | animal | 動物 / 动物 (dung6 mat6) | tʊŋ²² mɐt²² |
| 45 | fish | 魚 / 鱼 (jyu4-2) | jyː²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 46 | bird | 雀 (zoek3-2), 雀仔 (zoek3 zai2) | tsœːk³³⁻³⁵, tsœːk³³ tsɐi³⁵ |
| 47 | dog | 狗 (gau2) | kɐu³⁵ |
| 48 | louse | 蝨 / 虱 (sat1) | sɐt⁵⁵ |
| 49 | snake | 蛇 (se4) | sɛː²¹ |
| 50 | worm | 蟲 / 虫 (cung4) | tsʰʊŋ²¹ |
| 51 | tree | 樹 / 树 (syu6) | syː²² |
| 52 | forest | 森林 (sam1 lam4) | sɐm⁵⁵ lɐm²¹ |
| 53 | stick | 樹枝 / 树枝 (syu6 zi1) (of a tree), 棍 (gwan3) | syː²² tsiː⁵⁵, kʷɐn³³ |
| 54 | fruit | 生果 (saang1 gwo2) | saːŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔː³⁵ |
| 55 | seed | 種子 / 种子 (zung2 zi2) | tsʊŋ³⁵ tsiː³⁵ |
| 56 | leaf | 葉 / 叶 (jip6) | jiːp² |
| 57 | root | 根 (gan1) | kɐn⁵⁵ |
| 58 | bark (of a tree) | 樹皮 / 树皮 (syu6 pei4) | syː²² pei²¹ |
| 59 | flower | 花 (faa1) | faː⁵⁵ |
| 60 | grass | 草 (cou2) | tsʰou³⁵ |
| 61 | rope | 繩 / 绳 (sing4-2) | sɪŋ²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 62 | skin | 皮 (pei4) | pʰei²¹ |
| 63 | meat | 肉 (juk6) | jʊk²² |
| 64 | blood | 血 (hyut3) | hyːt³ |
| 65 | bone | 骨 (gwat1) | kʷɐt⁵⁵ |
| 66 | fat (noun) | 脂肪 (zi1 fong1) | tsi⁵⁵ fɔːŋ⁵⁵ |
| 67 | egg | 蛋 (daan6-2) | taːn²²⁻³⁵ |
| 68 | horn | 角 (gok3) | kɔːk³ |
| 69 | tail | 尾 (mei5) | mei¹³ |
| 70 | feather | 羽毛 (jyu5 mou4) | jyː¹³ mou²¹ |
| 71 | hair | 頭髮 / 头发 (tau4 faat3) (on head), 毛 (mou4) | tʰɐu²¹ faːt³³, mou²¹ |
| 72 | head | 頭 / 头 (tau4) | tʰɐu²¹ |
| 73 | ear | 耳仔 (ji5 zai2), 耳 (ji5) | ji¹³ tsɐi³⁵, ji¹³ |
| 74 | eye | 眼 (ngaan5) | ŋaːn¹³ |
| 75 | nose | 鼻 (bei6), 鼻哥 (bei6 go1) | pei²², pei²² kɔː⁵⁵ |
| 76 | mouth | 嘴 (zeoi2), 口 (hau2) | tsɵy³⁵, hɐu³⁵ |
| 77 | tooth | 牙 (ngaa4) | ŋaː²¹ |
| 78 | tongue (organ) | 脷 (lei6) | lei²² |
| 79 | fingernail | 指甲 (zi2 gaap3) | tsiː³⁵ kaːp³³ |
| 80 | foot | 腳 / 脚 (goek3) | kœːk³ |
| 81 | leg | 腳 / 脚 (goek3), 腿 (teoi2) | kœːk³, tʰɵy³⁵ |
| 82 | knee | 膝頭 / 膝头 (sat1 tau4), 膝頭哥 / 膝头哥 (sat1 tau4 go1) | sɐt⁵ tʰɐu²¹, sɐt⁵ tʰɐu²¹ kɔː⁵⁵ |
| 83 | hand | 手 (sau2) | sɐu³⁵ |
| 84 | wing | 翼 (jik6) | jɪk² |
| 85 | belly | 肚 (tou5) | tʰou¹³ |
| 86 | guts | 腸 / 肠 (coeng4-2) | tsœːŋ²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 87 | neck | 頸 / 颈 (geng2) | kɛːŋ³⁵ |
| 88 | back | 背脊 (bui3 zek3) | puːi³³ tsɛːk³ |
| 89 | breast | 胸 (hung1), 心口 (sam1 hau2) | hʊŋ⁵⁵, sɐm⁵⁵ hɐu³⁵ |
| 90 | heart | 心 (sam1) | sɐm⁵⁵ |
| 91 | liver | 肝 (gon1), 膶 / 𬂀 (jeon6-2) | kɔːn⁵⁵, jɵn²²⁻³⁵ |
| 92 | to drink | 飲 / 饮 (jam2) | jɐm³⁵ |
| 93 | to eat | 食 (sik6) | sɪk² |
| 94 | to bite | 咬 (ngaau5) | ŋaːu¹³ |
| 95 | to suck | 吸 (kap1), 啜 (zyut3) | tsyːt³³ |
| 96 | to spit | 𦧲 (loe1), 吐 (tou3, tu1) | lœː⁵⁵, tʰou³³, tʰuː⁵⁵ |
| 97 | to vomit | 嘔 / 呕 (au2) | ɐu³⁵ |
| 98 | to blow | 吹 (ceoi1) | tsɵy⁵⁵ |
| 99 | to breathe | 敨氣 / 敨气 (tau2 hei3), 呼吸 (fu1 kap1) | tʰɐu³⁵ hei³³, fuː⁵⁵ kʰɐp⁵ |
| 100 | to laugh | 笑 (siu3) | siu³³ |
| 101 | to see | 見 / 见 (gin3), 睇 (tai2) | kiːn³³, tʰɐi³⁵ |
| 102 | to hear | 聽 / 听 (teng1) | tʰɛːŋ⁵⁵ |
| 103 | to know | 知 (zi1), 知道 (zi1 dou3) | tsiː⁵⁵, tsiː⁵⁵ tou³³ |
| 104 | to think | 諗 / 谂 (nam2) | nɐm³⁵ |
| 105 | to smell | 聞 / 闻 (man4) | mɐn²¹ |
| 106 | to fear | 驚 / 惊 (geng1), 怕 (paa3) | kɛːŋ⁵⁵, pʰaː³³ |
| 107 | to sleep | 瞓 / 𰥛 (fan3), 瞓覺 / 𰥛觉 (fan3 gaau3) | fɐn³³, fɐn³³ kaːu³³ |
| 108 | to live | 生 (saang1) | saːŋ⁵⁵ |
| 109 | to die | 死 (sei2) | sei³⁵ |
| 110 | to kill | 殺 / 杀 (saat3) | saːt³ |
| 111 | to fight | 爭 / 争 (zaang1) | tsaːŋ⁵⁵ |
| 112 | to hunt | 打獵 / 打猎 (daa2 lip6) | taː³⁵ liːp² |
| 113 | to hit | 打 (daa2) | taː³⁵ |
| 114 | to cut | 切 (cit3), 剪 (zin2) | tsʰiːt³, tsin³⁵ |
| 115 | to split | 分開 / 分开 (fan1 hoi1) | fɐn⁵⁵ hɔːy⁵⁵ |
| 116 | to stab | 插 (caap3), 捅 (tung2) | tsʰaːp³, tʰʊŋ³⁵ |
| 117 | to scratch | 刮 (gwaat3), 𢯎 (ngaau1), 搲 (we2) | kʷaːt³, ŋaːu⁵⁵, wɛː³⁵ |
| 118 | to dig | 掘 (gwat6) | kʷɐt² |
| 119 | to swim | 游水 (jau4 seoi2) | jɐu²¹ sɵy³⁵ |
| 120 | to fly | 飛 / 飞 (fei1) | fei⁵⁵ |
| 121 | to walk | 行 (haang4) | haːŋ²¹ |
| 122 | to come | 嚟 (lai4) | lɐi²¹ |
| 123 | to lie (as in a bed) | 瞓 / 𰥛 (fan3) | fɐn³³ |
| 124 | to sit | 坐 (co5) | tsʰɔː¹³ |
| 125 | to stand | 企 (kei5) | kʰei¹³ |
| 126 | to turn (intransitive) | 轉 / 转 (zyun3) | tsyːn³³ |
| 127 | to fall | 跌 (dit3) | tiːt³ |
| 128 | to give | 畀 (bei2) | pei³⁵ |
| 129 | to hold | 揸 (zaa1) | tsaː⁵⁵ |
| 130 | to squeeze | 挾 / 挟 (gep6) | kɛːp² |
| 131 | to rub | 擦 (caat3), 捽 (zeot1) | tsʰaːt³, tsɵt⁵ |
| 132 | to wash | 洗 (sai2) | sɐi³⁵ |
| 133 | to wipe | 抹 (maat3) | maːt³ |
| 134 | to pull | 拉 (laai1), 掹 (mang1) | laːi⁵⁵, mɐŋ⁵⁵ |
| 135 | to push | 推 (teoi1), 擁 / 拥 (ung2) | tʰɵy⁵⁵, ʊŋ³⁵ |
| 136 | to throw | 抌 (dam2), 掉 (deu6) | tɐm³⁵, tɛːu²² |
| 137 | to tie | 綁 / 绑 (bong2) | pɔːŋ³⁵ |
| 138 | to sew | 聯 / 联 (lyun4) | lyːn²¹ |
| 139 | to count | 數 / 数 (sou2) | sou³⁵ |
| 140 | to say | 講 / 讲 (gong2), 話 / 话 (waa6) | kɔŋ³⁵, waː²² |
| 141 | to sing | 唱 (coeng3) | tsʰœŋ³³ |
| 142 | to play | 玩 (waan2) | waːn³⁵ |
| 143 | to float | 浮 (fau4) | fɐu²¹ |
| 144 | to flow | 流 (lau4) | lɐu²¹ |
| 145 | to freeze | 結冰 / 结冰 (git3 bing1) | kiːt³ pɪŋ⁵⁵ |
| 146 | to swell | 脹 / 胀 (zoeng3) | tsœŋ³³ |
| 147 | sun | 太陽 / 太阳 (taai3 joeng4), 日頭 / 日头 (jat6 tau4-2), 熱頭 / 热头 (jit6 tau4-2) | tʰaːi³³ jœŋ²¹, jɐt² tʰɐu²¹⁻³⁵, jiːt² tʰɐu²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 148 | moon | 月亮 (jyut6 loeng6) | jyːt² lœŋ²² |
| 149 | star | 星 (sing1) | sɪŋ⁵ |
| 150 | water | 水 (seoi2) | sɵy³⁵ |
| 151 | rain | 雨 (jyu5) | jyː¹³ |
| 152 | river | 河 (ho4) | hɔː²¹ |
| 153 | lake | 湖 (wu4) | wuː²¹ |
| 154 | sea | 海 (hoi2) | hɔːy³⁵ |
| 155 | salt | 鹽 / 盐 (jim4) | jiːm²¹ |
| 156 | stone | 石 (sek6), 石頭 / 石头 (sek6 tau4) | sɛːk², sɛːk² tʰɐu²¹ |
| 157 | sand | 沙 (saa1) | saː⁵⁵ |
| 158 | dust | 塵 / 尘 (can4) | tsʰɐn²¹ |
| 159 | earth | 泥 (nai4) | nɐi²¹ |
| 160 | cloud | 雲 / 云 (wan4) | wɐn²¹ |
| 161 | fog | 霧 / 雾 (mou6) | mou²² |
| 162 | sky | 天 (tin1) | tiːn⁵⁵ |
| 163 | wind | 風 / 风 (fung1) | fʊŋ⁵⁵ |
| 164 | snow | 雪 (syut3) | syːt³ |
| 165 | ice | 冰 (bing1) | pɪŋ⁵⁵ |
| 166 | smoke | 煙 / 烟 (jin1) | jiːn⁵⁵ |
| 167 | fire | 火 (fo2) | fɔː³⁵ |
| 168 | ash | 灰 (fui1) | fuːi⁵⁵ |
| 169 | to burn | 燒 / 烧 (siu1) | siːu⁵⁵ |
| 170 | road | 路 (lou6) | lou²² |
| 171 | mountain | 山 (saan1) | saːn⁵⁵ |
| 172 | red | 紅 / 红 (hung4) | hʊŋ²¹ |
| 173 | green | 綠 / 绿 (luk6) | lʊk² |
| 174 | yellow | 黃 / 黄 (wong4) | wɔŋ²¹ |
| 175 | white | 白 (baak6) | paːk² |
| 176 | black | 黑 (hak1) | hɐk⁵ |
| 177 | night | 夜晚 (je6 maan5), 夜晚黑 (je6 maan5 hak1), 晚黑 (maan5 hak1), 晚頭 / 晚头 (maan5 tau4-2) | jɛː²² maːn¹³, jɛː²² maːn¹³ hɐk⁵, maːn¹³ hɐk⁵, maːn¹³ tʰɐu²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 178 | day | 日頭 / 日头 (jat6 tau4-2) | jɐt² tʰɐu²¹⁻³⁵ |
| 179 | year | 年 (nin4) | nin²¹ |
| 180 | warm | 暖 (nyun5) | nyːn¹³ |
| 181 | cold | 凍 / 冻 (dung3) | tʊŋ³³ |
| 182 | full | 滿 / 满 (mun5) | muːn¹³ |
| 183 | new | 新 (san1) | sɐn⁵⁵ |
| 184 | old | 老 (lou5) (of high age), 舊 / 旧 (gau6) (not new) | lou¹³, kɐu²² |
| 185 | good | 好 (hou2) | hou³⁵ |
| 186 | bad | 壞 / 坏 (waai6) | waːi²² |
| 187 | rotten | 爛 / 烂 (laan6) | laːn²² |
| 188 | dirty | 污糟 (wu1 zou1), 邋遢 (laat6 taat3) | wuː⁵⁵ tsou⁵⁵, laːt² tʰaːt³ |
| 189 | straight | 直 (zik6) | tsɪk² |
| 190 | round | 圓 / 圆 (jyun4) | jyːn²¹ |
| 191 | sharp (as a knife) | 利 (lei6) | lei²² |
| 192 | dull (as a knife) | 鈍 / 钝 (deon6), 掘 (gwat6) | tɵn²², kʷɐt² |
| 193 | smooth | 滑 (waat6) | waːt² |
| 194 | wet | 濕 / 湿 (sap1) | sɐp⁵ |
| 195 | dry | 乾 / 干 (gon1) | kɔːn⁵⁵ |
| 196 | correct | 啱 (ngaam1) | ŋaːm⁵⁵ |
| 197 | near | 近 (kan5) | kʰɐn¹³ |
| 198 | far | 遠 / 远 (jyun5) | jyːn¹³ |
| 199 | right | 右 (jau6) | jɐu²² |
| 200 | left | 左 (zo2) | tsɔː³⁵ |
| 201 | at | 喺 (hai2), 響 / 响 (hoeng2) | hɐi³⁵, hœŋ³⁵ |
| 202 | in | 裡便 / 里便 (leoi5 bin6), 入便 (jap6 bin6), 裡面 / 里面 (leoi5 min6), 入面 (jap6 min6) | lɵy¹³ biːn²², jɐp² piːn²², lɵy¹³ miːn²², jɐp² miːn²² |
| 203 | with | 同 (tung4) | tʰʊŋ²¹ |
| 204 | and | 同 (tung4), 同埋 (tung4 maai4) | tʰʊŋ²¹, tʰʊŋ²¹ maːi²¹ |
| 205 | if | 如果 (jyu4 gwo2) | jyː²¹ kʷɔː³⁵ |
| 206 | because | 因為 / 因为 (jan1 wai6) | jɐn⁵⁵ wɐi²² |
| 207 | name | 名 (meng4-2) | mɛːŋ²¹⁻³⁵ |