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Hong Kong Government Cantonese Romanisation (not an official title) is the method of romanisation used in Hong Kong. This article illustrage and explain how the proper nouns in Hong Kong are transcribed and romanised, and the corresponding pronunciations of the spellings with respect to IPA and Jyutping.
Usage
It is used in romanising names of people, when the applicant do not produce one by her/himself, and geographical names, for places which do not have an English name.
For place names, "Street" and "Road" are often used instead of "Do" and "Kai", with just a handful of rare examples (e.g. Lan Kwai Fong). "Wan" and "Bay", "Tsuen" (or "Chuen") and "Estate", are, however, equally common. Some places, such as "Un Long", was later renamed as "Yuen Long" according to this standard.
When the romanisations are spoken in an English conversation, they are pronounced in the English manner. A good everyday example are the broadcast of the names of stations on MTR trains.
Some Internet instant messenger users, who are having problem to type in Chinese characters, model this rule of romanisation to communicate.
Phonology
It is not a fully standardised system, and many of the phonemes correspond to more than one letter combination, or the other way round. All tones are omitted. Distinctions between aspirated and unaspirated stops are also omitted.
Under the following table, geographical names are used to illustrate. (Biographical names are not used as people have the right to decide how their names be romanised, although the same rule usually applies.)
Consonants
Initials
| IPA | Jyutping | Romanisation | Example | in Chinese |
| p/pʰ | p | p | Sai Ying Pun | 西營盤 |
| b/p | b | p | Po Lam | 寶琳 |
| t/tʰ | t | t | Tuen Mun | 屯門 |
| d/t | d | t | Tai O | 大澳 |
| k/kʰ | k | k | Kai Tak | 啟德 |
| g/k | g | k | Tai Kok Tsui | 大角嘴 |
| kw/kʰw | kw | kw | Kwai Chung | 葵涌 |
| gw/kw | gw | kw | Kwun Tong | 觀塘 |
| m | m | m | Yau Ma Tei | 油麻地 |
| n | n | n | Nam Cheong | 南昌 |
| ŋ | ng | ng | Ngau Tau Kok | 牛頭角 |
| l | l | l | Lam Tin | 藍田 |
| f | f | f | Fo Tan | 火炭 |
s
| s
| s
sh | So Kon Po
Shau Kei Wan | 新蒲崗
筲箕灣 |
| h | h | h | Heng Fa Chuen | 杏花邨 |
| j | j | y | Yau Tong | 油塘 |
| w | w | w | Wong Tai Sin | 黃大仙 |
ts/tsʰ
| c
| ch
ts | Heng Fa Chuen
Yau Yat Tsuen | 杏花邨
又一村 |
dz/ts
| z
| ch
ts | Chung On Estate
Tai Kok Tsui | 頌安邨
大角嘴 |
Finals
| IPA | Jyutping | Romanisation | Example | in Chinese |
| -p | -p | -p | Ap Lei Chau | 鴨脷洲 |
| -t | -t | -t | Yau Yat Tsuen | 又一村 |
| -k | -k | -k | Shek O | 石澳 |
| -m | -m | -m | Sham Shui Po | 深水埗 |
| -n | -n | -n | Kwun Tong | 觀塘 |
| -ŋ | -ng | -ng | Kwun Tong | 觀塘 |
Vowels
| IPA | Jyutping | Romanisation | Example | in Chinese |
ɑ
| aa | a
ah | Yau Ma Tei
Wah Fu Estate | 油麻地
華富邨 |
ɐ
| a
| a
o
u | Tsz Wan Shan
Hung Hom
Sham Chun River | 慈雲山
紅磡
深圳河 |
| ɛ/e | e | e | Che Kung Miu | 車公廟 |
ɪ/i
| i
| i
ze
z
ee | Tsing Yi
Sheung Sze Wan
Tsz Wan Shan
Tat Chee Avenue | 青衣
相思灣
慈雲山
達之路 |
| ɔ | o | o | Wo Che | 禾輋 |
ʊ/u
| u
| u
oo | Kwun Tong
Mei Foo | 觀塘
美孚 |
| eo
oe | eu
eo
u | Sheung Wan
Nam Cheong
Shun Lee Estate | 上環
南昌
順利邨 |
y
| yu
| u
ue | Yu Chau Street
Yung Shue Wan | 汝州街
榕樹灣 |
| ɑɪ | aai | ai | Chai Wan | 柴灣 |
| ɐɪ | ai | ai | Mai Po | 米埔 |
| ɑʊ/ɑu | aau | au | Shau Kei Wan | 筲箕灣 |
| ɐʊ/ɐu | au | au | Sau Mau Ping | 秀茂坪 |
eɪ
| ei
| ei
ee
ze
ay | Lei King Wan
Lee On
Shap Sze Heung
Kam Hay Court | 鯉景灣
利安
十四鄉
錦禧苑 |
| ɪʊ | iu | iu | Yiu Tung Estate | 耀東邨 |
ɔɪ
| oi
| oi
oy | Choi Hung Estate
Choy Yee Bridge | 彩虹
蔡意橋 |
| ʊɪ/uɪ | ui | ui | Pui O | 貝澳 |
| y | eoi | ui | Sham Shui Po | 深水埗 |
əʊ
| ou
u | o
u | Tai Mo Shan
Tung Chung | 大帽山
東涌 |
| m | m | m | m koi * | 唔該 |
| ŋ | ng | ng | Ng Tung River | 梧桐河 |
* no geographical example.
See also
External links
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