fan1 fan2 fan3 fan4 fan5 fan6 fat1 faat3 fat6分粉訓墳憤份忽發佛分粉训坟愤份忽发佛
Jyutpingfan1 fan2 fan3 fan4 fan5 fan6 fat1 faat3 fat6
Yalefān fán fan fàhn fáhn fahn fāt faat faht
Definition
A mnemonic phrase used to demonstrate the nine tones of Cantonese.
colloquialother
How it's used
This specific sequence is the standard mnemonic used by Cantonese speakers to practice the nine tones of the language. Each character represents one of the nine tones in order, starting from the high level tone down to the low entering tone. It is a linguistic tool rather than a vocabulary word used in daily conversation.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a meaningful sentence, but it is purely a phonetic exercise. Do not try to use these characters together in a sentence as they do not form a coherent phrase.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
