你喺邊度？
nei5 hai2 bin1 dou6?
The English phrase "where are you?" is translated into Cantonese as 你喺邊度？ (nei5 hai2 bin1 dou6?)
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their current physical location.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你喺邊度？ is composed of 你 (you), 喺 (at/in) and 邊度 (where).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The informal way to ask "Where are you?" is 你喺邊度？ For a more formal context, you should use 你身處何地？ In casual, everyday conversation, you can also use 你喺邊呀？ to make the question sound softer and more natural by adding the sentence-final particle 呀 (aa3) at the end.
How do you pronounce it?
nei5 hai2 bin1 dou6?
Did you know?
- The character 喺 (at/in) is a distinctively Cantonese way to express location. In Mandarin, the equivalent word is 在, so using 喺 is one of the quickest ways to identify a Cantonese speaker.
- The word 邊 (bin1) in 邊度 also means 'edge' or 'side', reflecting a linguistic history of defining locations by their boundaries.
- In very casual settings, speakers often drop the pronoun 你 (you) entirely and simply ask 喺邊度？, as the subject is implied by the context.
Examples in context
- 你喺邊度？nei5 hai2 bin1 dou6?Where are you?
Example conversation
Junkit is calling晓彤 because he cannot find her at the mall.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit曉彤，你喺邊度？hiu2 tung4, nei5 hai2 bin1 dou6?Hiu Tung, where are you?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我喺門口呀。ngo5 hai2 mun4 hau2 aa3.I am at the entrance.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit我睇唔到你。ngo5 tai2 m4 dou2 nei5.I cannot see you.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung等我一陣，俊傑。dang2 ngo5 jat1 zan6, zeon3 kit3.Wait for me a moment, Junkit.
