I am a Hokkien and Hubby is a Cantonese. His whole family speaks in Cantonese because my FIL is from Hong Kong and he can only speak Cantonese and little Mandarin. As for me, my Hokkien is still passable but my cantonese fails! Literally I do not understand 90% of their conversation and I converse with the rest of the family members in English including my MIL. So I cannot really talk or chat with my FIL. Lucky MIL is a Sporean and she knows English and Mandarin, therefore I am able to chat with her.
Ever since after the wedding, I have been addressing my in laws as "lou ye" (老爷in cantonese) and "lai lai" (MIL in cantonese). Last night, my MIL told me to stop addressing them as "lou ye" and "lai lai" because I sounds weird as I have a kind of Hokkien accent while speaking in Cantonese. Even Hubby laughed at me. So pai seh. So from now on I shall call my in laws " ah pa" and "mum/mother".
Cantonese is so hard to master... I am a hopeless case....sigh!
hahaha, i couldn't understand cantonese at all when i was 1st with my hubby too. now, after 8 years, i think i can understand 80-90% of what my in-laws say.. as for me speaking cantonese... i'm still as lousy at it. ;p
ReplyDeletehaha! concidentally both of our hubby are born in HK. my hubby now is a spore citzen. then have you converse with your in-laws? in mandarin?
ReplyDeleteIs "Nai Nai" not "lai lai"...lai lai mah in manderin mean come come...hahahah!!! Any way, hear that "Kee" going to Singapore, you can ask Kee teach you simple Cantonese. Try watch Hongkong TVB movie in cantonese togather with Chinese Subtitle, it will very fast u can learn it. I also donno speak Cantonese, but may be Malaysia here many people see Hongkong movie, slowly i know how to speak already. Try it. Hope you don't give up.
ReplyDeleteFrom:
Choo.. :)