Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [278]
You can get a single one-month extension from the Macau Immigration Department ( Map; 2872 5488; Ground fl, Travessa da Amizade; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri).
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WEBSITES
Useful Macau websites:
Cityguide (www.cityguide.gov.mo) A good source of practical information, such as transport routes.
Macau Cultural Institute (www.icm.gov.mo) Macau’s cultural offerings month by month.
Macau Government Information (www.macau.gov.mo) The number-one source for nontourism information about Macau.
Macau Government Tourist Office (www.macautourism.gov.mo) The best source of information for visiting Macau.
Macau Yellow Pages (www.yp.com.mo) Telephone directory with maps.
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LANGUAGE
The Official Languages Ordinance of 1974 names Hong Kong’s two official languages as English and Cantonese, while Macau’s official languages are Portuguese and Cantonese. Cantonese, a southern Chinese dialect (or language, depending on your definition), is spoken throughout most of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces on the mainland. Cantonese preserves many archaic features of spoken Chinese that date back to the Tang dynasty, which is why Tang and Sung dynasty poetry can sound better in Cantonese than in Mandarin.
While Cantonese is used in Hong Kong in everyday life by the vast majority of the population, English remains the lingua franca of commerce, banking and international trade, and is still used in the law courts. But there has been a noticeable decline in the level of English-speaking proficiency in the territory due to emigration and the switch by many secondary schools to Chinese vernacular education. Still, some schools see it as a sign of prestige to keep teaching English, and many parents believe it is better for their children to have learnt English. In general, most Hong Kong Chinese, even those taught in English, cannot hold a candle to their English-proficient cousins in Singapore.
At the same time, the ability to speak Mandarin is on the increase in both Hong Kong and Macau due to the political realities. Also, for a Cantonese native speaker, Mandarin is far easier to learn than English. It’s not uncommon these days to hear Cantonese and Mandarin being mixed in conversation.
Get Some Lingo
It’s true – anyone can speak another language. Don’t worry if you haven’t studied languages before or that you studied a language at school for years and can’t remember any of it. It doesn’t even matter if you failed English grammar. After all, that’s never affected your ability to speak English! The key to picking up a language in another country is just to start speaking.
Learn a few key phrases before you go. Write them on pieces of paper and stick them on the fridge, by the bed – anywhere that you’ll see them often.
You’ll find that locals appreciate travellers trying their language, no matter how muddled you may think you sound. If you want to learn more Cantonese than we’ve included here, pick up a copy of Lonely Planet’s comprehensive and user-friendly Cantonese Phrasebook.
PRONUNCIATION
Vowels & Vowel Combinations
a as the ‘u’ in ‘but’
eu as the ‘er’ in ‘fern’
ew as in ‘blew’ (short and pronounced with tightened lips)
i as the ‘ee’ in ‘deep’
o as in ‘go’
u as in ‘put’
ai as in ‘aisle’ (short sound)
au as the ‘ou’ in ‘out’
ay as in ‘pay’
eui as in French feuille (eu with i)
iu as the ‘yu’ in ‘yuletide’
oy as in ‘boy’
ui as in French oui
Consonants
In Cantonese, the ng sound can appear at the start of the word. Practise by saying ‘sing along’ slowly and then do away with the ‘si’ at the beginning.
Note that words ending with the consonant sounds p, t, and k must be clipped in Cantonese. This happens in English as well – say ‘pit’ and ‘tip’ and listen to how much shorter the p sound is in ‘tip’.
Many Cantonese speakers, particularly young people, replace an n sound with an l if it begins the word – náy (you) is often heard as láy. Where relevant, this change is reflected in the words and phrases in this language