我鍾意你
ngo5 zung1 ji3 nei5
我鍾意你 (ngo5 zung1 ji3 nei5) is the Cantonese way to say "I like you".
The verb 鍾意 (zung1 ji3) can be used to express both romantic interest and general liking of a person's character or actions.
Meaning: I like you (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I/me), 鍾意 (to like) and 你 (you).
Which one should you use?
While 鍾意 (zung1 ji3) means 'to like', 愛 (oi3) is used for the much stronger emotion of 'to love'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 鍾意 (zung1 ji3) does not change its form based on the subject or the object.
How do you pronounce it?
ngo5 zung1 ji3 nei5
Did you know?
- The character 鍾 in 鍾意 originally referred to a bell, but in this phrase, it relates to the idea of concentrating one's heart or attention on someone.
- In romantic contexts, saying 我鍾意你 is often considered more natural and common in daily life than the heavier 我愛你, which can feel overly dramatic or like a movie line.
- While 鍾意 expresses liking, Cantonese speakers often use the phrase 好感 'good feeling' to describe a crush before they are ready to say 我鍾意你.
Examples in context
- 你鐘意我嗎？Do you like me?
- 啊，我好鐘意你。Oh, I really like you.
- 我鍾意你。ngo5 zung1 ji1 nei5.I like you.
- 我想話我鍾意你。ngo5 soeng2 waa6 ngo5 zung1 ji1 nei5.I want to say that I like you.
Example conversation
A quiet park at sunset where a young man confesses to a young woman.
- 家明 Ka Ming雅婷，我鍾意你。nga5 ting4, ngo5 zung1 ji1 nei5.Nga Ting, I like you.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting家明，你真係講真㗎？gaa1 ming4, nei5 zan1 hai6 gong2 zan1 ga3?Ka Ming, are you serious?
- 家明 Ka Ming係呀，我真係好鍾意你。hai6 aa3, ngo5 zan1 hai6 hou2 zung1 ji1 nei5.Yes, I really like you.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting我都鍾意你。ngo5 dou1 zung1 ji1 nei5.I like you too.
