貪字得個貧( Chinese Proverbs Write + Read 諺語寫和讀)

After the completion of the “I can Write & Read” collection, we received many requests to further produce resources in order to help you continue your journey into learning more about the Cantonese language.

This collection “Chinese Proverbs Write + Read” teaches you how to read and write proverbs (with stroke order), along with a brief explanation of what each proverb means.

Proverbs are short sayings which may be traditional, coming from generations ago, or they may be relatively new. Sometimes they will hold double meanings- just like puns. But more than often, proverbs will express advice based on stories or past experiences.

Learning the everyday use of proverbs in these videos will broaden your understanding of the culture that is encapsulated within them and subsequently deepen your knowledge of the Cantonese language.

We encourage learners to…
• Watch the videos and listen to the pronunciation of each word. The pronunciation expressions help make sure you know what the word sounds like.
• Try not to rely on the alphabetical pronunciations too much.
• Listening and practising is the most effective way to learn Cantonese.
• Listen to the "tone" too. In Chinese, the tone gives the meaning to the word, not just the sound. Some tones are high. Some are low. Some are rising. Some are falling. Listen to the video and try to mimic the tone and sound.
• The previous collection of “I Can Write + I Can Read” learning materials such as videos, flash cards, writing sheets, worksheets and other related resources could help in learning to write and say these proverbs.

Pronunciations- words that end in hard consonants: In most cases, the hard consonant at the end of pronunciations do not need to have any emphasis put on it (hence why some of our videos will hint that certain letters are 'silent').

For example, in the word 六, the pronunciation is 'luk', but the 'k' sound is toned down. Likewise, with the word 拍, it is pronounced 'paak', but the k is soft.

Happy learning!