waai6壞zo2咗
Broken
ngo5我bou6部sau2手gei1機kam4琴jat6日maai5買，gam1今jat6日zau6就waai6壞zo2咗。
I bought my phone yesterday, and today it is already broken.
Learn
When something is wrong
Return a faulty item, say something is broken or wrong, complain, and ask to have it fixed
Learn the Cantonese for Broken, To return, to refund, Not right, wrong, To complain, To fix, to make. This lesson gives you each word with a clear example and romanization, plus audio so you can hear exactly how it sounds.
What you'll learn
- Broken: 壞咗 (waai6 zo2)
- To return, to refund: 退 (teoi3)
- Not right, wrong: 唔啱 (m4 ngaam1)
- To complain: 投訴 (tau4 sou3)
- To fix, to make: 整 (zing2)
At the market you learned to pick, taste-test, and haggle. But sometimes a purchase goes wrong: the fruit is bad, the change is short, or the phone you bought stops working. Now let's learn how to sort it out.
teoi3退
To return, to refund
ni1呢bou6部din6電si6視waai6壞zo2咗，m4唔goi1該bong1幫ngo5我teoi3退faan1返。
This TV is broken, could you please help me return it.
m4唔ngaam1啱
Not right, wrong
nei5你bei2畀siu2少zo2咗cin2錢ngo5我，ni1呢go3個sou3數muk6目m4唔ngaam1啱。
You gave me too little money, this amount is not right.
tau4投sou3訴
To complain
keoi5佢fuk6服mou6務taai3態dou6度hou2好caa1差，ngo5我soeng2想tau4投sou3訴。
Their service attitude is really bad, so I want to complain.
zing2整
To fix, to make
m4唔goi1該nei5你bong1幫ngo5我zing2整faan1返bou6部din6電waa2話。
Please help me fix the phone.
Frequently asked questions
Is the When something is wrong lesson free?
Yes. This Cantonese lesson is free to read online, with romanization and meanings for every word. In the YumCha app, your first lesson is free to try, and vocabulary practice, flashcards, and the dictionary stay free. A subscription unlocks the full interactive lesson path.
Which words does When something is wrong teach in Cantonese?
This lesson covers Broken, To return, to refund, Not right, wrong, To complain, To fix, to make.
What romanization is used?
Both Jyutping and Yale, and you can switch between them. The romanization sits above every word, so you always know the pronunciation.
Do I need to read Chinese characters to start?
No. Romanization sits above every character and audio plays each word, so you can start speaking from your first lesson.