Essential Phrases§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Hello | Hai / Halo |
| How are you? | Nyi ho mo? |
| I’m well | Ngai ho |
| Thank you | Kam shia |
| Have you eaten? | Nyi sit pau mang? |
| Already eaten | Sit pau |
| Not yet | Mang sit |
| Yes | He / He wa |
| No | Boi mo / Em he |
| Okay | Ho / Ok |
Basic Pronouns§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| I / Me | ngai |
| You | nyi |
Key Question Words§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| What | ma’ai |
| Why | co mai |
| Who | ma ngin |
| Where | nai bui |
| How | nyong pen |
| What time | kit to tiam |
| How much | jit to lui |
Numbers 0-10§
| Number | Hakka |
|---|
| 0 | khung |
| 1 | jit |
| 2 | nyi |
| 3 | sam |
| 4 | si |
| 5 | ng |
| 6 | liuk |
| 7 | chit |
| 8 | pat |
| 9 | kiu |
| 10 | sip |
Pattern for teens: sip + [1-9] (e.g., sip jit = 11)
Pattern for tens: [2-9] + sip (e.g., nyi sip = 20)
Days of the Week§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Monday | Pai jit |
| Tuesday | Pai nyi |
| Wednesday | Pai sam |
| Thursday | Pai si |
| Friday | Pai ng |
| Saturday | Pai liuk |
| Sunday | Lipai |
Time Words§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Today | kinyit |
| Yesterday | chu punyit |
| Now | li ha |
| Sometimes | sangha |
| Already | pau |
| Not yet | mang |
Common Verbs§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Eat/Drink | sit |
| Go | hi |
| Work | jiu co se |
| Study | kuliah / hok |
| Want | oi |
| Like | nyen |
| Buy | mai |
| See/Watch | khon |
| Meet | nyi |
| Cook | cu choi |
Common Adjectives§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Good | ho |
| Very | an |
| Big | thai |
| Small | se |
| Hot | sau |
| Delicious | ho sit |
| Happy | fon hi |
| Beautiful | an-ciang |
Family Terms§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Mom | amak |
| Dad | apak |
| Older brother | ako/koko |
| Younger brother | lo thai |
| Older sister | tche tche |
| Younger sister | tche |
| Siblings | hiungthi |
Food Basics§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Rice | fan |
| Chicken | kai nyuk |
| Beef | nyiu nyuk |
| Vegetables | choi |
| Water | sui |
| Coffee | kopi |
| With/And | kak |
Key Grammar Patterns§
Making Questions§
Add mo to end of statement:
- Nyi ho → Nyi ho mo? (You well → Are you well?)
Completed Actions§
Verb + pau = already [verb]
Ongoing Actions§
Jiu + verb = [verb]-ing
Want/Desire§
Oi + verb = Want to [verb]
- Ngai oi sit = I want to eat
Negation§
Mo = not
”For you”§
Verb + pun nyi = [verb] for you
- Mai pun nyi = Buy for you
Connecting Items§
Use kak for “with/and”:
- Fan kak choi = Rice with vegetables
Useful Expressions§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| My name is… | Ngai miang… |
| I am [age] years old | Ngai [number] se |
| I live in… | Ngai [place] bi hek |
| Right now I… | Li ha ngai… |
| Sometimes I… | Sangha ngai… |
| I want to learn | Ngai oi hok |
| Where are you? | Nyi nai bui? |
| What are you doing? | Nyi mek ma’ai? |
| I’m at home | Ngai buk kha |
| Very good | An ho sit |
| Hope it rains | Pok ki lok sui |
| Wait a minute | Ten jit ha |
Common Conversation Flows§
Greeting§
A: Nyi ho mo? (How are you?)
B: Ngai ho (I'm well)
A: Nyi sit pau mang? (Have you eaten?)
B: Sit pau (Already eaten)
Meeting Plans§
A: Kinyit oi hi khon hi mo? (Want to watch a movie today?)
B: Ho! Kit to tiam? (Sure! What time?)
A: Sam tiam (3 pm)
B: Nai bui nyi? (Where shall we meet?)
At Work§
A: Kinyit jiu co se mo? (Are you working today?)
B: Jiu co se kinyit (Working today)
A: Co to jit to tiam? (What time do you finish?)
B: Ngai co to pat tiam am (I finish at 8 pm)
Pro Tips:
- Context is key - subjects can often be omitted when clear
- An before adjectives = very (an ho = very good)
- Tiam has multiple meanings: time, store, quiet
- Hi can mean “go” or “movie” depending on context
- Most drinks use sit (eat) not a separate “drink” verb
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