Typing Cantonese Characters


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Rationale:

When I first started learning Cantonese, I couldn’t find any decent information on the Internet about how to type Cantonese characters so I gradually made my own list of commonly used Cantonese characters. You can see it below. Since that time, some easier methods of entering Cantonese have emerged. I’ve described them below too.

Cantonese Search Engines – How to Web Search using Cantonese Characters:

Safele has a Cantonese Search Engine at Safele.com/hk. A user only needs to type the first letter of a Cantonese initial sound (using the Sidney Lau Cantonese Romanization System or Yale system) and all characters with an initial sound starting with that letter will be listed above the search box. If the user clicks on one of the Chinese characters, that character will replace the letter in the search box. If the user wants to type an English word or any other non-Chinese text, he/she just continues typing into the search box without clicking on any of the Chinese characters. This method does not require users to learn an entire romanization system. Instead, only the initial letter of each sound needs to be learned, and learning those is so simple that even if you don’t know Sidney Lau’s romanization system or the Yale system, you can learn the initial letters within minutes just by typing English letters and watching which Chinese characters appear in the list. This Chinese character input method is especially useful for Cantonese speakers who have not learned, or not installed, one of the stroke-based Cantonese character input methods, e.g. those using a mobile phone, or a computer in a non-Chinese speaking country, or a computer in an Internet bar, or a computer without a writing tablet. Of course, Safele also warns you about old browser-related software running on your computer, which helps you keep your computer free of viruses, trojans, and malware! Try the Cantonese Search Engine yourself at Safele.com/hk!

Cantonese Input Methods (IME) – How to Type Cantonese:

Here are some of the ways you can type Cantonese-specific characters on your computer:

  • If you know how to speak Mandarin and how to write pinyin, or are willing to learn, then ...
    • You can use the Chinese (PRC) IME (freely available from Microsoft), but around 60% of all Cantonese-specific characters will still not be typeable.
    • You can use the Chinese (Taiwanese) IME (freely available from Microsoft), but around 25% of all Cantonese-specific characters will still not be typeable.
  • If you’re writing an HTML page ...
    • You can copy and paste the characters or Unicode values from the table below, but I may not have listed all the characters you need. (If you want me to add some, send me a message by clicking the “Contact Us” link above.)
  • If you know how to write Chinese characters and how to use Wubi, or are willing to learn, then ...
    • You can use the Wubi IME (五笔字型输入法) (freely available from wangma.com.cn), and most if not all Cantonese-specific characters will be typeable!
  • If you know how to write Cantonese words using the Sidney Lau Cantonese Romanization System or Jyutping or Yale, or are willing to learn, then ...
    • You can use a Cantonese IME such as CPIME (freely available from cpime.hk), and most if not all Cantonese-specific characters will be typeable! (Although the Sidney Lau Cantonese Romanization System implemented in CPIME version 6.2.5 has at least 3 errors that I know of.  i.e. The romanization is incorrect for some sounds. It’s not a huge problem though.)

Common Cantonese Characters:

Each row of the table below shows:

  • a Cantonese-specific Character, or a standard Chinese character which has a different meaning in Cantonese,
  • its Cantonese Pronunciation (using the Sidney Lau Cantonese Romanization System),
  • the way to type the character using the Chinese (Taiwanese) IME (freely available from Microsoft),
  • the way to type the character using the Chinese (PRC) IME (freely available from Microsoft),
  • the way to type the character using Wubi IME (五笔字型输入法) (freely available from wangma.com.cn),
  • the Unicode value of the character (which can be used in HTML, for example “呃” = “呃”),
  • and the English Meaning(s) of the Cantonese character.

Blank table entries are ones that either cannot be done in the given method, or I haven’t worked out a way to do it.


Cantonese CharacterCantonese PronunciationChinese
(Taiwanese)
IME
Chinese
(PRC)
IME
Wubi IMEUnicode
(Hex)
English Meaning(s)
ak1e4/e5.KDB5443cheat, deceive.
be1/bi1/bi4pi2pi2KRT5564Used in transliterations of the English words: baby, beer, etc.
bei2bei1/bi4.WRT4FFEgive, pay, allow.
bo1bao4bao1WKSO7172(Verb) boil; (Noun) kettle.
cham4xun2.KVA565Ayesterday.
dei6..KFB54CBPluralizing suffix.
di1..KRQY5572Pluralizing prefix; the; -er.
fan3beng1.HYK7793sleep (e.g. 瞓覺 fan3 gaau3).
gam2dan4.KNBT5649(Interjection) well; very well. (Adverb) in this way, in that case, like this, thus, so, well, then.
gam3gan1.KAF5481(Adverb) so (used only to modify adjectives or adverbs, never verbs). e.g. gam3 gwai3 = so expensive.
gan2jin3.JC7DCA-ing (i.e. the progressive aspect).
gang2geng3geng3SGJQ6897of course; immovable; stubborn; honest.
ge3kai4.KVCQ5605’s.
goh2..KWL55F0that.
gwooi6guai4.UWGJ7650tired.
ha5xia4xia4KGH5413a little; a while.
hai2..KWTI55BAat.
hai6xi4.WTXI4FC2is.
joh2..KBHG5528-ed. (Used in Sidney Lau’s books)
joh2..KDA5497-ed. (Used in the book ‘Everyday Cantonese’ and some others)
kaat1ji1ji1KFKG54AD(Transliteration) card.
king1qing1/2/3qing1WXD50BEchat (e.g. 傾偈 king1 gai6*).
kui5ju4.WAN4F62him.
kui5ju4.VAN59D6her.
lak3le1le1KAF561E(Final Particle) used as a sign of polite refusal, completed action, or transition.
lek1le4le4KLN53FBintelligent.
leng3liang4/jing4liang4/jing4GEM975Abeautiful (appearance); good (quality).
lai4li2.KTQI569Fcome.
m4wu2wu2KGKG5514not.
mat1mie1mie1/nie4NNV4E5Cwhat (e.g. 乜嘢 mat1 ye5).
me1mie1mie1KUD54A9(Particle) transforms a statement into a question that indicates doubt or surprise.
mo5mou3.DM5187not have.
nau1niao3niao3LLV5B32angry.
ngaam1..KMD5571correct; suitable; just.
ni1/ne1ne1/ne5/ni2ne5/ni2KNX5462ni1: this.     ne1: (Final Particle) indicating a question.
saai3..KJS55EE(Suffix) completely.
saan1shuan1.UGD9582switch off (TV, light, etc.); close (a window, door, etc.).
taai1tai4dai1/tai3KDYY5454(Transliteration) neck-tie.
tai2di4di4HUXT7747look; read.
tau2..KRUF551Etake a rest (e.g. 早唞 jo2 tau2).
wan2wen4wen4RLW6435look for; search for; find.
ye5..KJFB5622thing/matter; disgusting fellow.

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Copyright © 2009 Andrew WhiteCreated: 19 Jan 2009
Page authored by Andrew WhiteUpdated: 22 Jan 2013

  












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