我嘅愛
ngo5 ge3 oi3
The Cantonese phrase for "my love" is 我嘅愛 (ngo5 ge3 oi3).
我嘅愛 is used to refer to the abstract feeling of love that a person has for someone else.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I/me), 嘅 (a possessive particle) and 愛 (love).
Which one should you use?
While 我嘅愛 refers to the abstract feeling of love, adding 人 (person) to the end results in 我嘅愛人, which refers to a person, specifically a spouse or partner.
How do you pronounce it?
ngo5 ge3 oi3
Did you know?
- In Cantonese culture, expressing 'my love' through words is often replaced by 'acts of service'. A partner might express 愛 by peeling fruit or preparing a meal rather than saying the phrase aloud.
- The character 愛 is often simplified in various regions, but in traditional Cantonese writing, the middle part of the character includes the radical for 'heart' (心), physically embedding the heart into the word for love.
- While 我嘅愛 is the literal term for 'my love', Cantonese speakers rarely use the word 愛 in daily speech. They often use 鍾意 meaning 'to like' to express romantic love because 愛 can feel overly dramatic or formal.
Examples in context
- 佢感受得到我嘅愛。keoi5 gam2 sau6 dak1 ngo5 ge3 oi3.She can feel my love.
- 我嘅愛係無條件嘅。ngo5 ge3 oi3 hai6 mou4 geoi3 cin3 ge3.My love is unconditional.
Example conversation
A couple talking about their relationship in a park.
- 子健 Tsz Kin我會永遠對你好。ngo5 wui5 wing2 jyun5 deoi3 nei5 hou2.I will always be good to you.
- 美玲 Mei Ling我感受到我嘅愛喺你心入面。ngo5 gam2 sau6 dou3 ngo5 ge3 oi3 hai2 nei5 sam1 jap6 min6.I feel my love inside your heart.
- 子健 Tsz Kin美玲，我同樣好愛你。mei5 ling4, ngo5 tung4 joeng6 hou2 oi3 nei5.Meiling, I love you just as much.
- 美玲 Mei Ling子健，你真係好溫柔。zi2 gin6, nei5 zan1 hai6 hou2 wan1 jau4.Zijian, you are really gentle.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
