...........................	Language ............................................................................................................................ Hong Kong is officially bilingual (English & Cantonese), which means more on paper than it does on a street corner in North Kowloon. Many residents, of course, can hold their own in one or several of the other Chinese dialects. There is no such thing as spoken "Chinese", only various Chinese dialects. The written language is the same areas, which means if two Chinese cannot speak to each other, they can write each other a note, even though each charater has a different dialectical pronunciation for the same meaning. For most of the population though, English is at best a few numbers, the obiquitous "hello", "bye-bye" and a few street and places name. Fortunately for visitors, most of the million or so effective English-speakers are concentrated in and around the downtown business and tourist districts. Even fairly far afield shops and restaurant invariably have a resident linguist able enough to get thing done. Often this will be a teenage or younger student, who together with red-badged cops and more fashionable dresser are the most dependable targets for on-the-street queries. Useful Phrases   Hello? Wai? One Yat How are you? Neih hou ma? Two Yih What's your name? Gwai sing a? Three Saam Good morning Jou Sahn Four Sei Good night Jou Tau Five Ngh Good-bye Joi Gin Six Luhk Thank you Do jeh Seven Chat You're welcome Hou Wah Eight Baat I'm sorry Deui Mjyuh Nine Gau Can you speak English? Neih wuih mwuih gong ying mahn? Ten Sahp Yes Haih/Hou Eleven Sahp-yat No Mhaih/Mhou Twenty Yih-sahp Hong Kong Heung gong Thirty Saam-sahp Kowloon Gau lihng Forty Sei-sahp The New Teritories San gaai Fifty Ngh-sahp The Peak Saan deng Sixty Luhk -sahp How far is A from B? A leih B gei yuhn? Seventy Chat-sahp How long does it take? Yiu gei noi? Eighty Baat-sahp How many/How much? Gei do? Ninety Gau-sahp How much is it? Gei do chin? One hundred Yat-baak Dollar $ Man One thousand Yat-chihn One dollar Yat man Ten thousand Yat-mahn Ten dollar Sahp man May I ask Cheng mahn Bus Ba-si Bring me the menu please. Chaan Paai Mgoi Peak Tram Laahm-che I'd like to drink "Jasmine" tea Ngoh yam heung pin chah Tram Dihn che To drink Yam Mini-bus Siu Ba To eat Sihk Plane Fei gei Tea Chah Taxi Dik-si Report to the police Bou ging Mass Transit Railway (MRT) Deih hah tit-louh What time is it? Gei dim jung Train station Fo-che jaahn o'clock Dim jung Pier Mah-tauh 3 o'clock Saam dim-jung Airport Fei gei cheuhng Minute Fan
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