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.
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Sign up to join this community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'
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.