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The context:

A: Want to get lunch on Saturday?

B: Don't count on me. My game may last until 1 PM.

Several suggestions were offered for how to say, "Don't count on me" in Cantonese, but none seemed right.

Here were three suggestions, but none had the right connotation:

  1. 無遇我
  2. 無依賴我
  3. 無問我

What's the right way to say, "Don't count on me" in Cantonese?

Thanks!

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2

This answer has been edited:

There's no direct translation since the term "Don't count on me" in Cantonese is used in a sense of "don't rely on me" instead of "do not make decision base on me". Here's an alternative:

In oral: "唔好預我一定黎"

唔好預我: Don't expect me
一定黎: to come for sure (黎 is a slang for come, the formal word is 到)

So now you have told people you will come but it's not sure.

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  • Thanks, but Henry's statement is not the desired connotation. "Don't count on me" is the right statement: neither confirming, nor rejecting, the invitation. – Crashalot Feb 3 '15 at 20:21
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    @Crashalot The answer provided is more meaning toward "Do not reply on me (to do/help you with something)". In cantonese it actually make sense to say "唔使預我" when fitting into the sample you given. Simply, people will understand when you use Henry's answer, but they will be confused to use 唔好靠我 in conjunction to your sample – Alex Feb 3 '15 at 20:34
  • Thanks. I understand what you're saying, but "唔使預我" doesn't capture the accurate connotation because it means, "Don't include me," which isn't the right connotation. The right connotation preserves the possibility of confirming/declining the invitation. Does that make sense? – Crashalot Feb 3 '15 at 21:28
  • @Crashalot Yup it totally make sense! My answer to this is, instead of saying "Don't count on me", people will say "I don't know if I can make it" (in cantonese) instead. – Alex Feb 3 '15 at 22:07
  • OK, so you are saying there is no direct translation of "Don't count on me" in Cantonese? – Crashalot Feb 3 '15 at 23:24
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I presume that you mean "Don't count me in.". In this case, you can say, "唔使預我"

"使" here is pronounced as "sai2" (i.e., same as 洗)

  • 唔使 = don't / no need
  • 預我 = expect (/ prepare for) my presence

Edit: If it is possible that B will or will not go, we usually say "我未必來到", where "來" is pronounced as lai4 (黎) and "到" is pronounced as dou2 (倒).

Edit2: A bit old-fashioned way is to say "唔好預實我喇."

  • 唔好 = don't
  • 預實我 = expect my confirmed presence
  • 喇 = (simply an interjection)
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  • No, the statement "Don't count on me" is accurate. It suggests it is possible B will go, and also possible B will not go. "Don't count me in" means B is definitely not going, which is not the desired connotation. – Crashalot Feb 3 '15 at 20:20
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In your situation, the most colloquial and natural expression that I can think of is "我嚟得就嚟” （If I can come, I will.) The speaker is not committing, nor is s/he ruling out coming.

Another expression closer to "don't count on me/ don't rely on me (to do something, not necessarily joining the speaker for lunch)" is "唔好旨意嗮我。”

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    "我嚟得就嚟喇" is a nice translation too ~ – Henry HO Feb 5 '15 at 11:44

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