japanese hai vs cantonese hai [Archive] - Japan Forum
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dojee
Jun 29, 2004, 06:12
hi again.
i'm wondering if the japanese and the cantonese hai (yes/it is) are related?
thank you.
Glenn
Jun 29, 2004, 08:22
They both mean "yes," so they're related in that way. I'm not sure about the etymology of はい, though, so I can't say whether it is related in an any more significant way to 是的 than just coincidence.
Keiichi
Jun 29, 2004, 09:37
Meaning "yes," then they are. But I've seen the Japanese hai used in a way (as a question, like "what?" or "say that again?") that Cantonese doesn't seem to use, for example:
A-san: You're going to die.
B-san: hai?
A-san: Oh, nothing.
Golgo_13
Jun 29, 2004, 10:37
I have heard from a resident in Hong Kong that it is common nowadays for the young people of Hong Kong to add "ne?" to the end of their speech to sound like Japanese.

I thought the use of "Hai" was another example of a japanese word being incorporated into the Cantonese dialect but I guess not.
bossel
Jun 29, 2004, 10:47
hi again.
i'm wondering if the japanese and the cantonese hai (yes/it is) are related?
thank you.
Don't know about the etymology, but you may find this interesting:
http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/topic-1-11654-11654.htm
Keiichi
Jun 29, 2004, 11:02
I'm pretty familiar with Cantonese. There are a lot of similarities. Of course with onyomi readings, there are even more similarities.
Wakaranai
Jun 29, 2004, 13:24
I have heard from a resident in Hong Kong that it is common nowadays for the young people of Hong Kong to add "ne?" to the end of their speech to sound like Japanese.

I thought the use of "Hai" was another example of a japanese word being incorporated into the Cantonese dialect but I guess not.

Are you trying to make a joke Golgo_13

Hai + ne = Haine as in a butt lol

My Haine is getting fat. Sorry my mind is not ok I have issues.
dojee
Jun 29, 2004, 18:32
I have heard from a resident in Hong Kong that it is common nowadays for the young people of Hong Kong to add "ne?" to the end of their speech to sound like Japanese.


you mean 呢?
correct me if i'm wrong, but haven't HK people always used that in end of sentences?
Golgo_13
Jun 30, 2004, 05:08
Are you trying to make a joke Golgo_13
.

No. They were two separate and unrelated statements

you mean 呢?
correct me if i'm wrong, but haven't HK people always used that in end of sentences?

I don't know the kanji for it. I will try to get the link where the person states they like using the suffix to try to sound Japanese.