Can anyone explain any differences in usage between the three ways of saying 'here' in Cantonese?
I anticipate that in many cases, these will be exchangeable. I'm looking for examples of sentences where one is used and another would be incorrect.
2 Answers
呢度 = 這裡 = here; this place
喺呢度 = 在這裡 = at/ in here; at/ in this place
Example:
呢度冇人 (this place has no one) = no one here
冇人喺呢度 (no one is at/ in this place) = no one here
'is' and 'in' can be omitted in 'no one is in here', but 喺 cannot be omitted in Cantonese, 冇人呢度 / 沒人這裡 sounds like two disjoined phrases 'no one, here'
- 喺度 can be short for 喺呢度 (in here) or 喺嗰度(in there)
Example:
你喺度做乜? = what are you doing here/there? (depend on the distance)
Notice:
喺 and 在 cannot be omitted in 冇人喺呢度 / 沒人在那裡
omit 喺 and 在 in 冇人喺嗰度 / 沒人在那裡 (no one is at/ in there = no one there) and writing 冇人嗰度 / 沒人那裡 would change the meaning to 'where there is no one'
More example:
呢度唔收信用卡/ 這裡不收信用卡 = this place doesn't take credit cards (呢度 is the subject)
喺呢度，店家唔收信用卡/ 在這裡，店家不收信用卡 = (at/ in) here, the shop owners don't take credit cards
喺度 means 'speaking' when we answer the phone.
e.g. May I speak to Mr. Tang?
Mr. Tang could reply 喺度.
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1喺度 = 在(這)裡. If I answer the phone with "喺度", it means "(Tang) is here (on the phone with you)". It doesn't mean "Tang is speaking" . "whoever is speaking" is the English way of answering the phone, Chinese don't say " "Tang 講緊" (Tang is speaking)– Tang Ho ♦May 26, 2022 at 0:44
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1Typical phone call -- 來電者: 「你好，唔該啊 Tang 吖」(hi, Tang please) -- 本人: 「係，我係」(yes, I am Tang). 將 "喺度" 譯為 "speaking" 已經唔係直譯，甚至連意譯都唔係，祇能話係一種"概譯" (rough translation)– Tang Ho ♦May 26, 2022 at 0:52
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1@TangHo There is a very specific usage of "speaking" in English when answering the phone, and it just means "it's me" or "I'm here". It doesn't mean 講緊. Kind of like 喂: I've noticed there are a lot of exceptions and specific idioms when you first pick up the phone.– psitaeJan 19 at 15:47