pou4 man2葡文
Jyutpingpou4 man2
Yalepòuh mán
Definition
The Portuguese language.
neutralcommunication
How it's used
Shortening names of languages by taking the first character and adding 文 is a standard pattern in Cantonese. While 葡文 is the standard way to refer to the language, it is almost exclusively used in the context of Macau or international relations. Note that when referring to the country itself, you must use the full name 葡萄牙.
Examples
He is taking a Portuguese course in Macau.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
