01
忙唔忙
mong4 m4 mong4
Are you busy?
A common Cantonese A-not-A question pattern: busy + not + busy.
忙+唔+忙
STREET CANTONESE / 01
The everyday expressionCasual · Friends & colleagues
Let’s talk
吹水
ceoi1 seoi2
A little chat.
A good catch-up.
To chat, gossip, or “shoot the breeze.”
Literal meaning“To blow water”
No water needed. Just a conversation.
得唔得閒吹水呀？dak1 m4 dak1 haan4 ceoi1 seoi2 aa3?Got time for a chat?✦Hear it in context
A message to a friend
忙唔忙呀？
mong4 m4 mong4 aa3?
得唔得閒吹水呀！
dak1 m4 dak1 haan4 ceoi1 seoi2 aa3!
“Are you busy? Got a minute to catch up?”
Direct translation: Are you busy? Do you have time to chat?
The setting
A lazy Saturday afternoon: you text a friend to see if they’re free. Or you pop by a colleague’s desk during a coffee break.
Piece by piece
Unpack the expression
02
得唔得閒
dak1 m4 dak1 haan4
Are you free?
Also means “Do you have time?” Use it to check if someone is available.
An easy way to open an invitation.