baak6 waa2 zi6白話字白话字
Jyutpingbaak6 waa2 zi6
Yalebaahk wá jih
Definition
Pe̍h-ōe-jī, the Latin alphabet orthography used to write Hokkien; more generally, romanized vernacular Chinese.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Refers specifically to the written form of spoken Cantonese rather than standard written Chinese. It is often used to contrast with formal literary styles or the standard written Chinese taught in schools. In casual conversation, people are more likely to simply say 廣東話 when referring to the language itself.
Examples
We usually use vernacular Cantonese when we speak.
Related words
Common phrases
written in vernacular Chinese
use vernacular Chinese
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Romanization system for Hokkien or other Min languages which also shares the name Pe̍h-ōe-jī. In a Hong Kong context, it almost exclusively refers to written Cantonese.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
