希臘
hei1 laap6
The English word 'greek' can be translated into Cantonese as 希臘 (hei1 laap6).
希臘 is used to refer to the country of Greece or as an adjective to describe something Greek.
Meaning: language of the Greek people (name)
Which one should you use?
While 希臘 refers to both the country Greece and the adjective 'Greek', other forms exist to specifically denote the language: 希臘文 is a formal way to refer to the Greek language, specifically emphasizing the written aspect and 希臘話 can be used in informal contexts to say 'Greek' in Cantonese.
How do you pronounce it?
hei1 laap6
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, 希臘 is a phonetic transcription of the word 'Hellas', the name the Greeks use for their own country, rather than a translation of 'Greece'.
- To describe something as 'Greek' in terms of style or architecture, Cantonese speakers will often add the word 式 to the end of 希臘.
- When referring to 'Greek mythology', Cantonese speakers use 希臘神話, where 神話 literally means 'god stories'.
Examples in context
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a new language learning app.
- 子健 Tsz Kin你最近學緊咩語言呀？nei5 zui3 zan6 hok6 gan2 me1 jyu5 joen2 aa3?What language have you been learning lately?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我試緊學希臘文。ngo5 si3 gan2 hok6 hei1 laap6 man4.I'm trying to learn Greek.
- 子健 Tsz Kin希臘文係唔係好難學？hei1 laap6 man4 hai6 m4 hai6 hou2 naan4 hok6?Is Greek very hard to learn?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung係，啲字母好奇怪。hai6, di1 zi1 mou6 hou2 kei4 gwaai3.Yes, the alphabet is very strange.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
