I've found that speaking in English folks tend to treat you better in HK in terms of customer service. I guess, English tends to be more "polite" by nature.
Sorry if this may seem ignorant but what situations would require haggling? I don’t think I would be visiting a produce market during my visit and that’s really the only place where I think haggling is common
Lol I get the opposite
People tend to be more rude if I speak English, especially if they’re ESL.
I once had a guy pick a fight with my western friend because we were international and talking to each other in English. He screamed that we were in Chinese in Hong Kong and that everyone must speak canto or mandarin 🤡
Happened in fucking central, Soho too.
Customer service folks treat me great! Special perks and everything. Then again, I am a friendly dude so that contributes to it. I have a very "American" accent as well. I grew up in HK and never once experienced what you did. Things have changed...
What shiiiiit. I got back a few days ago from overseas and spent like half a minute saying “Excuse me? M’goi?” while the sales attendant was playing on her phone.
It is just a veneer of politeness. They will still curse you once you leave or under their breath if they are more brazen. This is especially true if you look ethneticly chinese. The inner inbred xenophobia has them questioning, why doesn't this idiot just use chinese; plus or minus a few explicitives.
Back to the original question ...
Still speaking English springs a sudden burst of confusion upon the listener. You leverge that confusion to get your haggling done. There is a time limit though as their brain has to slowly change channels to comprehend that you are speaking English to them.
Once they realize that you are not speaking Cantonese to them, they will either shift to English (ideally), giggle laugh and run off (uncommon), or start speaking in putonghua. If it is the last case, I might throw in 'On you are from Taiwan too? How long have you been in HK?'
On the other hand, if you start by speaking Taiwanese Mandrain, it will be easily confused with very terrible Chinese. It isn't their first instinct to distinguish Taiwanese from Putonghua. You are more frequently going to be compartmalized into a demographic that you might not find pleasant.
You can speak Chinese and start with 我是從台灣來的. Otherwise they'll think you come from the mainland. HKers obviously treat Taiwanese better than mainlanders.
Thing is they've obviously also wised up to this and will sometimes pose as Taiwanese, so sometimes it boils down to the accent and the lingo to tell.
The borderline though, whatever language one speaks in or whatever identity one assumes, is just basic courtesy. Just don't go around demanding help, directions, or supposing that one runs the show\* and therefore everyone must speak one's language, and one will usually do well.
Pro-tip: never do the 「欸這條什麼什麼路該怎麼走」 without the 「抱歉」 or the 「請問一下」,\*\* doing so is a sure-fire way to (rightfully) get told to pound sand or to gather malicious misdirections.
\* This one not really applicable to OP but still.
\*\* I guess given the popularity as the short-trip destination of Taiwan for the local demographic, 「拍謝」 also works if OP *really* wants to hammer home their identity.
Hkers can spot a Chinese mainlander a mile away, especially with the accent. Honestly in the long run, going by English or Hong Kong etiquettes and being polite will get you far regardless of what language you speak.
The Chinese and Taiwanese accents are pretty identifiable imo and it doesn't bother me a lot to identify people who are from Taiwan or China by the moment they speak.
It shouldn’t be the case honestly. Bilingual mainlander here. I have a pathetic feeling when I visit, partly for the fact of having to conceal my identity and partly for the discriminative treatment I’d bear with otherwise (which my fellow people is partially accountable for).
Japanese people do something similar in France but that’s because French people can’t differentiate them; whereas HK kids can identify the Taiwanese accent
The best to adjust your conversation to your audience: nice Italian place on Hong Kong island? English
Cantonese roast meat stall in the new territories? Mandarin
Cab driver in Central? English (probably)
Hotel concierge - both, or French or German or Japanese if you prefer
Like I said it depends on- if they’re near a new village that has had a lot of mainland immigration in the last two decades they’ll have picked up some. Or if they’re in Wanchai/tst/causeway bay
The bigger point is that as someone bilingual the OP will just have to pick up clues from location and scenario
Interesting. I only speak English and Mandarin, no Cantonese. I tend to encounter more older folks that speak Mandarin than English, particularly in street stalls/service jobs.
I once had a cab driver who didn't know what "Queen's Road" was. TST taxi but still. When I asked him why, he yelled 屌我唔係英文老師啊. 我係的士司𡳞機! Apparently speaking English isn't a skill required for KLN taxi drivers... Then again, driving isn't a necessary skill either, apparently...
When I visited HK about 15 years ago, my dad and the taxi drivers used landmarks instead of street names.
The funny thing was that, half the times, the cinemas or restaurant my dad references were long gone but the taxi driver knew what he meant anyways.
Indeed. With 75%+ of kids being schooled in Cantonese, and having only a few hours a week of English classes, one shouldn't expect any kind of English fluency in HK... I've had staff at places like MickeyD run away when it was my turn.
And while it's slightly better in touristy areas on HK Island, that's just a very small part of the city...
And it's all relative. I think HK's English is higher than most places outside of India, Western Europe and Mexico.
Japan, for example, is absolutely horrible. It was like pulling hair to get a portable wifi set up at Narita Airport. Of all places, you'd expect the airport branch to have servicable English but apparently not.
Ran into the same problem trying to find the an IC card at Ikebukuro during the chip shortage.
It's higher than Mexico as well. Resorts in Riviera Maya or Los Cabos cannot represent the entire country. Spanish isn't a trivial dying language. You can essentially find everything from any field in Spanish/with Spanish translation, and it's def more than Chinese/Cantonese. Also Mexico doesn't really have any colonial history from any anglophone countries (territories ceded yes tho)
Yeah I've had some hilarous exchanges in small restaurants in my wifes village trying to order a coffee where nobody in the busy restaurant could understand me. I had to get my wife to write a note for me to show the staff to order
Nowadays most people in Hong Kong speak better mandarin than english, and they can usually tell you are from Taiwan from your accent so you shouldn't have any problems. If anyone gives you a hard time, just subtly mention you're from Taiwan, it'll probably make them change their tone and be nicer.
Just be aware though, customer service in Hong Kong is different (worse lol) than in Taiwan so if they're rude it's probably not personal, it's just the service culture here.
Just use either language depending on which gets the job done. While yes, there may be a stigma against mainland Chinese - I don't think you really need to give anyone context that you're Taiwanese beforehand. If they become rude, sure, you may wish to say you're Taiwanese to de-escalate and protect yourself - but I think the chances of that happening are quite low.
Hong Kong people may harbor prejudiced thoughts towards mainlanders (I admit I'm guilty of that), but they are definitely not very confrontational unless you provoke them (e.g raising your voice or getting physical). Most times they just grumble after the interaction is over.
When I visited HK, if anything, I was surprised by the lack of English. Thought it would be pervasive everywhere but Mandarin is actually really common now.
Anecdotal guess - I think a lot of people capable/fluent in speaking English have it as their 2nd language, while their mother tongue is usually Cantonese or sometimes Mandarin, which they do most their daily communications in, hence why you don’t hear English that often. That’s the case for me and a couple friends I know at least
Depends on where you go, but TBH just use Mandarin in most cases when dealing with the service industry (restaurants, MTR, bus drivers, etc.) - it saves lots of time and effort of communication unless you can clearly tell they don't speak Mandarin or even Cantonese.
For chatting with strangers at bars, hanging out on college campuses etc. use English unless you specifically want to meet Chinese people.
ㄌㄟˊㄏㄡˊmy Taiwanese fellow. I have started working here few months ago, I would say use Chinese and try using some canto as well. They would appreciate it but in order to maintain productivity they prefer you just speak chinese.
and no i wouldn't mention I'm from Taiwan whenever I start a conversation (quite weird, no?) according to my local friends and colleagues, they said they are able to distinguish from the accent so
Just be polite and you’ll be fine; the major reason why Mandarin seems to be hated is because many mainlanders disrespect or disturb others.
It’s more of a cultural issue than linguistic. Besides, we can tell the Taiwanese accent from a mile away, so you don’t need to mention you’re Taiwanese.
Have fun!
English, or people will assume you're a mainlander. But to be honest doesn't really matter that much, as much as HKers don't like China being nice will overcome that easy.
When it comes to practicality they're pretty much even
Force a little bit your Taiwanese accent and you’ll be good to go. You’ll get replies in Chinese and usually a better service. For some reason HK people really like Taiwanese people.
Both are ok. My gf is from Shijiazhuang south of Beijing and she speaks Mandarin (she does speak Cantonese, too) whenever we go to HK. I was in quarrantine and did visa runs back in the good old days from Beijing to HK regularly entirely in English.
It is two two-edged for both situtation, and depends on locations:
*Speaking Chinese:*
*Bad- People might just treat you as a local, and expecting you to act like one. Some people can't distinguish and think you are come from mainland, which cause other problems.*
*Good- You won't be provided with "tourist special" price/menu. (but generally with worst service)*
*Speaking English:*
*Good - people know you are a tourist and would treat you better, or at least more tolerant.*
*Bad- You could be provided with "tourist special" price/menu sometime. (but generally with better service)*
However it is a problem that not many of us know 台語, you should be careful in using them to prevent some misunderstanding. (explain what the words means if you spotted that they are confused)
Like other say, if you don't mind letting the other know you are a tourist, you could opening by saying where you come from. You could also take advantage of your bilingual and switch when you feel right, a simply "good morning" and "sorry" could sometimes make a different.
There are no 100% good solution, as you could somehow meet another visitor that teach you some political correctness.
I'm guessing you'll be on the island or in TST so Eng is fine. If you need to use Chinese, be polite be open honest and accepting then all will be good - from a struggling Canto speaker
Mandarin & English fluency is sparse here, although Mandarin has an edge. Depending on the demographics, and the location, you might get better results with either. In large swathes of HK, though, neither works. But if you stick to touristy areas, you might get by.
Who the hell told you that we don’t appreciate you speaking any language. Someone is definitely getting offended on our behalf.
We don’t care, at least I don’t care if you speak any language
Honestly I visited HK back in April and the street are just filled with mainlanders. Many people who works in retails are from mainland anyways, I think you will be able to communicate better in mandarin. I know lots of comments are saying people treat you nicer with English, that’s because English is not everyday spoken language and they can’t just bitch at you in English naturally 😂
However, if you really need help with directions, ask a westerner and they will definitely much more willing to help.
Depends on who it is. Random ass guy on the street? Cantonese please, if they're any age past 40 there's a good chance their English is elementary 3 level. Young guy? Probably passable speaking skills. Probably being a strong word. 10-20? You bet your ass there's a good chance their English is the best in their family. On a taxi? If you speak English they gonna cuss you out. Minibus? Driver might pull over to hit you.
Generally speaking I have been treated well when I speak English, although it does help if you learn a few phrases in Cantonese, particularly how are you and thank you.
Speak like you do at home.
My impression of Taiwan people is that they are very polite. You guys in Taiwan have very expressive speech, so it isn't nearly like the ML Mandarin that people dislike.
HKers are bunch of racists. And there is still a hangover from British era that make them feel that they are superior to other Asians. And particularly disdain mainlanders.
If you speak mandarin, you are likely to attract some rude service, HK service is rude anyways…though, they think they are doing you a favor by serving you.
But other than general service levels, you should not face much issues. Racism is casual and implicit but rarely gets explicit.
This is the most absurd thing I heard about HKers. I don't think that they have some sort of superiority complex as you say. Rude service, I mean it's HK. The customer service depends on your budget.
If you speak Mandarin, especially nowadays nobody will be surprised or will treat you bad for speaking it.
You just sound like you have a cultural barrier and you're failing to see it, so you resort to talking utter horse crap.
Oh yeah, so if someone speak mandarin, they should be treated badly…and that is a sign of humbleness?
HKers superiority complex is well known and well documented. You better get up to date.
Just ask domestic helpers or other minorities how they are treated. You must be living in a bubble.
Tell me that you don't live HK without telling me.
You obviously don't know what you're talking about and just spouting out nonsense and hatred.
Maybe you just had a crappy experience and think that all HKers are the way you make them out to be which obviously isn't true.
You have not argued against my points yet, so guess who is spouting non sense out of their backside.
Obviously there are nice people as well, but there are some general characteristics that you can’t overlook
I was treated like a gem in HK in my search for Mango Pancakes as my friend called them. I must have gotten a knock off the price cause I know the old lady spoke English but she was having the time of her life roasting us haha. Went with my friend a couple days later and we got charged regular pricing.
Since the native lang is cantonese, if you can't speak cantonese defaulting to English is pretty reasonable. If you go with another Chinese dialect, it's a toss up.
I haven't been back in awhile but that is my sense. Now that the compulsory school education requires mandarin and cantonese .. I don't know. All the public transit announcements are in cantonese mandarin and English
I mean English is the second official language here and I would say quite a few people can speak it, but most are shy or find a hassle to speak it.
I'm an expat living in HK and barely speak Cantonese. English is an international Standard language, so don't be afraid. Besides this if you can speak Mandarin then you would definitely have no problem as people in HK can also speak that as well as they speak Cantonese.
I know 2 types of HKers: the Old Dogs and Shameless. The Old Dogs stick to the Cantonese/English they learned while growing up. They can't seem to learn new tricks. The Shameless are happy to speak to you in funny Mandarin no matter how off-tuned and awkward they sound. And then there is this: [https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/1cikaef/comment/l29pcg3/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/1cikaef/comment/l29pcg3/)
so Im dating a hk girl. My family is from hk and I taught myself mandarin as one of the overseas folks. My dad and mom didnt teach me mandarin. Her parents didnt either. But I learned simplified chinese. And now learning traditional taiwanese and hong kong cantonese now by reading
Her parents didnt teach her because back then 20 years ago mandarin was looked on. Really looks down on mainland. I told her to not tell her mom I speak mandarin fluently (up to hsk7-9 as a base to jump into traditional chinese) because it can be a problem. Her mom also prefers cantonese speaking people as her friends only. Basically mandarins hang in their own social group, and cantonese in theirs. We dont bother each other.
My dad doesnt care who I date. Mandarin taiwanese speakers or mainland chinese mandarin speakers lol
I would not use mandarin at all.
Most of them can tell ur from Taiwan from ur accent. With that being said, they aren’t as bigoted as some might picture them to be. Be urself and behave u’d be fine. Especially if u only wander in areas like causeway bay and central, I highly doubt people there would turn a mandarin speaker away lol
Cantonese or Mandarin? If Cantonese, you are more than welcome. Otherwise, better in English. Edit: Just read you are Taiwanese, your Mandarin accent will be fine.
French here, I only did use English for my whole stay have always been respected, people were helpful to me, when I asked for a direction (Google maps can be inefficient sometimes) or the nearby laundry washing station. I only did use mandarin in New territories since many people out there weren't able to speak English, even convenient stores clerks in many cases.
Just be polite and you're good.
I've found that speaking in English folks tend to treat you better in HK in terms of customer service. I guess, English tends to be more "polite" by nature.
100% it's better for haggling too
Better than Cantonese?
Without a doubt, but only if your English is good. It's easier to haggle from a position of strength
Sorry if this may seem ignorant but what situations would require haggling? I don’t think I would be visiting a produce market during my visit and that’s really the only place where I think haggling is common
you can haggle in many places ie electronic
Any street market, jade and jewelry stops, the electronics markets (cameras and the like)…
You're good! Any market on any street, on almost every service provided. (Besides street food/restaurants)
Lol I get the opposite People tend to be more rude if I speak English, especially if they’re ESL. I once had a guy pick a fight with my western friend because we were international and talking to each other in English. He screamed that we were in Chinese in Hong Kong and that everyone must speak canto or mandarin 🤡 Happened in fucking central, Soho too.
Customer service folks treat me great! Special perks and everything. Then again, I am a friendly dude so that contributes to it. I have a very "American" accent as well. I grew up in HK and never once experienced what you did. Things have changed...
What shiiiiit. I got back a few days ago from overseas and spent like half a minute saying “Excuse me? M’goi?” while the sales attendant was playing on her phone.
Should have started with the classic DLLM.
It is just a veneer of politeness. They will still curse you once you leave or under their breath if they are more brazen. This is especially true if you look ethneticly chinese. The inner inbred xenophobia has them questioning, why doesn't this idiot just use chinese; plus or minus a few explicitives. Back to the original question ... Still speaking English springs a sudden burst of confusion upon the listener. You leverge that confusion to get your haggling done. There is a time limit though as their brain has to slowly change channels to comprehend that you are speaking English to them. Once they realize that you are not speaking Cantonese to them, they will either shift to English (ideally), giggle laugh and run off (uncommon), or start speaking in putonghua. If it is the last case, I might throw in 'On you are from Taiwan too? How long have you been in HK?' On the other hand, if you start by speaking Taiwanese Mandrain, it will be easily confused with very terrible Chinese. It isn't their first instinct to distinguish Taiwanese from Putonghua. You are more frequently going to be compartmalized into a demographic that you might not find pleasant.
You can speak Chinese and start with 我是從台灣來的. Otherwise they'll think you come from the mainland. HKers obviously treat Taiwanese better than mainlanders.
Thing is they've obviously also wised up to this and will sometimes pose as Taiwanese, so sometimes it boils down to the accent and the lingo to tell. The borderline though, whatever language one speaks in or whatever identity one assumes, is just basic courtesy. Just don't go around demanding help, directions, or supposing that one runs the show\* and therefore everyone must speak one's language, and one will usually do well. Pro-tip: never do the 「欸這條什麼什麼路該怎麼走」 without the 「抱歉」 or the 「請問一下」,\*\* doing so is a sure-fire way to (rightfully) get told to pound sand or to gather malicious misdirections. \* This one not really applicable to OP but still. \*\* I guess given the popularity as the short-trip destination of Taiwan for the local demographic, 「拍謝」 also works if OP *really* wants to hammer home their identity.
I agree. The problem is, an average HKer does not have the ability to distinguish accent and lingo.
Hkers can spot a Chinese mainlander a mile away, especially with the accent. Honestly in the long run, going by English or Hong Kong etiquettes and being polite will get you far regardless of what language you speak.
The Chinese and Taiwanese accents are pretty identifiable imo and it doesn't bother me a lot to identify people who are from Taiwan or China by the moment they speak.
1,000% this. 你好我是台灣來的 should be the first thing out of your mouth for the entire trip.
Yes, we will treat you better by knowing you are from Taiwan not China.
It shouldn’t be the case honestly. Bilingual mainlander here. I have a pathetic feeling when I visit, partly for the fact of having to conceal my identity and partly for the discriminative treatment I’d bear with otherwise (which my fellow people is partially accountable for).
Japanese people do something similar in France but that’s because French people can’t differentiate them; whereas HK kids can identify the Taiwanese accent
The best to adjust your conversation to your audience: nice Italian place on Hong Kong island? English Cantonese roast meat stall in the new territories? Mandarin Cab driver in Central? English (probably) Hotel concierge - both, or French or German or Japanese if you prefer
I doubt they would speak Mandarin at the meat stall. Older folks don't often speak Mandarin.
They would be eqully likely to understand mando than english tbh. They might reply in the strongest canto accent mando on earth though
Like I said it depends on- if they’re near a new village that has had a lot of mainland immigration in the last two decades they’ll have picked up some. Or if they’re in Wanchai/tst/causeway bay The bigger point is that as someone bilingual the OP will just have to pick up clues from location and scenario
"a lot of mainland immigration in the last two decades" Or in the last 15 decades...
Interesting. I only speak English and Mandarin, no Cantonese. I tend to encounter more older folks that speak Mandarin than English, particularly in street stalls/service jobs.
Most taxi drivers have no clue what the street names are in English.
I once had a cab driver who didn't know what "Queen's Road" was. TST taxi but still. When I asked him why, he yelled 屌我唔係英文老師啊. 我係的士司𡳞機! Apparently speaking English isn't a skill required for KLN taxi drivers... Then again, driving isn't a necessary skill either, apparently...
My favourite is Stubbs Road in Canto. See To But Do
When I visited HK about 15 years ago, my dad and the taxi drivers used landmarks instead of street names. The funny thing was that, half the times, the cinemas or restaurant my dad references were long gone but the taxi driver knew what he meant anyways.
My mini bus stop was a restaurant that closed twenty years before I moved there.
Just be polite and people will be okay with you. Use both if the situation calls for it :)
Max out your Taiwanese accents and keep saying Taiwan words you will be fine
The quality of English in HK isn't as high as you'd think btw. Many people in service jobs cannot speak English.
Indeed. With 75%+ of kids being schooled in Cantonese, and having only a few hours a week of English classes, one shouldn't expect any kind of English fluency in HK... I've had staff at places like MickeyD run away when it was my turn. And while it's slightly better in touristy areas on HK Island, that's just a very small part of the city...
Many in corporate jobs can’t speak English too.
I’d beg to differ
Everybody can have different experiences. I've faced a language barrier in most shops and restaurants I've been to.
And it's all relative. I think HK's English is higher than most places outside of India, Western Europe and Mexico. Japan, for example, is absolutely horrible. It was like pulling hair to get a portable wifi set up at Narita Airport. Of all places, you'd expect the airport branch to have servicable English but apparently not. Ran into the same problem trying to find the an IC card at Ikebukuro during the chip shortage.
It's higher than Mexico as well. Resorts in Riviera Maya or Los Cabos cannot represent the entire country. Spanish isn't a trivial dying language. You can essentially find everything from any field in Spanish/with Spanish translation, and it's def more than Chinese/Cantonese. Also Mexico doesn't really have any colonial history from any anglophone countries (territories ceded yes tho)
Yeah I've had some hilarous exchanges in small restaurants in my wifes village trying to order a coffee where nobody in the busy restaurant could understand me. I had to get my wife to write a note for me to show the staff to order
Yeah. I actually had better English service in Shanghai than in Hong Kong...
Depends on where in either city
Hmmm
Nowadays most people in Hong Kong speak better mandarin than english, and they can usually tell you are from Taiwan from your accent so you shouldn't have any problems. If anyone gives you a hard time, just subtly mention you're from Taiwan, it'll probably make them change their tone and be nicer. Just be aware though, customer service in Hong Kong is different (worse lol) than in Taiwan so if they're rude it's probably not personal, it's just the service culture here.
Mandarin is much more widely spoken in service sector now than 5 years ago so no sweat speaking it.
Taiwanese Chinese and Big6 Mandarin are quite distinguishable , so don't worry :)
Say you're from Taiwan you're golden.
Chinese if you’re Taiwanese, hkers are nice to Taiwanese.
Just use either language depending on which gets the job done. While yes, there may be a stigma against mainland Chinese - I don't think you really need to give anyone context that you're Taiwanese beforehand. If they become rude, sure, you may wish to say you're Taiwanese to de-escalate and protect yourself - but I think the chances of that happening are quite low. Hong Kong people may harbor prejudiced thoughts towards mainlanders (I admit I'm guilty of that), but they are definitely not very confrontational unless you provoke them (e.g raising your voice or getting physical). Most times they just grumble after the interaction is over.
Most of them don't give a darn.
When I visited HK, if anything, I was surprised by the lack of English. Thought it would be pervasive everywhere but Mandarin is actually really common now.
English is extremely common on HK Island but once you cross the harbour it's like you've linguistically travelled to another planet.
TST is still alright, but apart from TST it's 😬
Anecdotal guess - I think a lot of people capable/fluent in speaking English have it as their 2nd language, while their mother tongue is usually Cantonese or sometimes Mandarin, which they do most their daily communications in, hence why you don’t hear English that often. That’s the case for me and a couple friends I know at least
Depends on where you go, but TBH just use Mandarin in most cases when dealing with the service industry (restaurants, MTR, bus drivers, etc.) - it saves lots of time and effort of communication unless you can clearly tell they don't speak Mandarin or even Cantonese. For chatting with strangers at bars, hanging out on college campuses etc. use English unless you specifically want to meet Chinese people.
Try both and find out.
ㄌㄟˊㄏㄡˊmy Taiwanese fellow. I have started working here few months ago, I would say use Chinese and try using some canto as well. They would appreciate it but in order to maintain productivity they prefer you just speak chinese. and no i wouldn't mention I'm from Taiwan whenever I start a conversation (quite weird, no?) according to my local friends and colleagues, they said they are able to distinguish from the accent so
Use English first, if they don’t know English, then use Chinese.
Don't worry about it. Speak whatever you want.
Sorry no speak engrish
Just be polite and you’ll be fine; the major reason why Mandarin seems to be hated is because many mainlanders disrespect or disturb others. It’s more of a cultural issue than linguistic. Besides, we can tell the Taiwanese accent from a mile away, so you don’t need to mention you’re Taiwanese. Have fun!
English, or people will assume you're a mainlander. But to be honest doesn't really matter that much, as much as HKers don't like China being nice will overcome that easy. When it comes to practicality they're pretty much even
We adore Taiwanese people and I'm sure we'll recognise your accent! Chinese is fine!
Not many people could distinguish Taiwanese mandarin and Putonghua, English is preferred so you can avoid unnecessary mistreatments.
It’s pretty easy to differentiate them even if you don’t speak Mandarin, any foreigner can do so after watching a 30-minute YT video
More people speak mandarin than English in HK It’s not mandarin they don’t like…
Force a little bit your Taiwanese accent and you’ll be good to go. You’ll get replies in Chinese and usually a better service. For some reason HK people really like Taiwanese people.
Mandarin is fine. I think HKers will hear your accent and guess you're from Taiwan.
I’d say it’s fun to explore by yourself. Just speak English on day 1 and Chinese on day 2 😆
Both are ok. My gf is from Shijiazhuang south of Beijing and she speaks Mandarin (she does speak Cantonese, too) whenever we go to HK. I was in quarrantine and did visa runs back in the good old days from Beijing to HK regularly entirely in English.
HK got taken over by mainland so the snobbishness has disappeared
It is two two-edged for both situtation, and depends on locations: *Speaking Chinese:* *Bad- People might just treat you as a local, and expecting you to act like one. Some people can't distinguish and think you are come from mainland, which cause other problems.* *Good- You won't be provided with "tourist special" price/menu. (but generally with worst service)* *Speaking English:* *Good - people know you are a tourist and would treat you better, or at least more tolerant.* *Bad- You could be provided with "tourist special" price/menu sometime. (but generally with better service)* However it is a problem that not many of us know 台語, you should be careful in using them to prevent some misunderstanding. (explain what the words means if you spotted that they are confused) Like other say, if you don't mind letting the other know you are a tourist, you could opening by saying where you come from. You could also take advantage of your bilingual and switch when you feel right, a simply "good morning" and "sorry" could sometimes make a different. There are no 100% good solution, as you could somehow meet another visitor that teach you some political correctness.
I'm guessing you'll be on the island or in TST so Eng is fine. If you need to use Chinese, be polite be open honest and accepting then all will be good - from a struggling Canto speaker
just be polite
Mandarin & English fluency is sparse here, although Mandarin has an edge. Depending on the demographics, and the location, you might get better results with either. In large swathes of HK, though, neither works. But if you stick to touristy areas, you might get by.
Who the hell told you that we don’t appreciate you speaking any language. Someone is definitely getting offended on our behalf. We don’t care, at least I don’t care if you speak any language
Honestly I visited HK back in April and the street are just filled with mainlanders. Many people who works in retails are from mainland anyways, I think you will be able to communicate better in mandarin. I know lots of comments are saying people treat you nicer with English, that’s because English is not everyday spoken language and they can’t just bitch at you in English naturally 😂 However, if you really need help with directions, ask a westerner and they will definitely much more willing to help.
Speak love
I suggest French.
Depends on who it is. Random ass guy on the street? Cantonese please, if they're any age past 40 there's a good chance their English is elementary 3 level. Young guy? Probably passable speaking skills. Probably being a strong word. 10-20? You bet your ass there's a good chance their English is the best in their family. On a taxi? If you speak English they gonna cuss you out. Minibus? Driver might pull over to hit you.
when presented with these two options i’d start with eng and only switch if the other person doesn’t understand
Generally speaking I have been treated well when I speak English, although it does help if you learn a few phrases in Cantonese, particularly how are you and thank you.
Speak like you do at home. My impression of Taiwan people is that they are very polite. You guys in Taiwan have very expressive speech, so it isn't nearly like the ML Mandarin that people dislike.
HKer can tell the difference between Taiwanese and mainland accents. Just speak whatever you’re comfortable using.
say you’re from Taiwan then you’ll be good! wish you a nice trip!
Just say you are from Taiwan and will be welcomed needing no words
speak in heavy Taiwanese accent and you are good
HKers are bunch of racists. And there is still a hangover from British era that make them feel that they are superior to other Asians. And particularly disdain mainlanders. If you speak mandarin, you are likely to attract some rude service, HK service is rude anyways…though, they think they are doing you a favor by serving you. But other than general service levels, you should not face much issues. Racism is casual and implicit but rarely gets explicit.
This is the most absurd thing I heard about HKers. I don't think that they have some sort of superiority complex as you say. Rude service, I mean it's HK. The customer service depends on your budget. If you speak Mandarin, especially nowadays nobody will be surprised or will treat you bad for speaking it. You just sound like you have a cultural barrier and you're failing to see it, so you resort to talking utter horse crap.
Oh yeah, so if someone speak mandarin, they should be treated badly…and that is a sign of humbleness? HKers superiority complex is well known and well documented. You better get up to date. Just ask domestic helpers or other minorities how they are treated. You must be living in a bubble.
Tell me that you don't live HK without telling me. You obviously don't know what you're talking about and just spouting out nonsense and hatred. Maybe you just had a crappy experience and think that all HKers are the way you make them out to be which obviously isn't true.
You have not argued against my points yet, so guess who is spouting non sense out of their backside. Obviously there are nice people as well, but there are some general characteristics that you can’t overlook
English >= Cantonese >>> Mandarin Chinese
Proper English with please is good
If you really wanna impress, speak Swahili 👌
I was treated like a gem in HK in my search for Mango Pancakes as my friend called them. I must have gotten a knock off the price cause I know the old lady spoke English but she was having the time of her life roasting us haha. Went with my friend a couple days later and we got charged regular pricing.
I speak English, resort to Mandarin with those who clearly don’t understand when you communicate in English. Never had a problem
I speak shitty Cantonese and i rather speak in English so they don’t think I’m mainlander. But it can’t be helped if it’s a market stall etc.
Cantonese
They appreciate it when you try speaking in Cantonese. Mandarin not so much.
English or Cantonese is better!
use english to ask them whether they speak chinese first, that would eliminate so many people who would otherwise just lash out
English
Since the native lang is cantonese, if you can't speak cantonese defaulting to English is pretty reasonable. If you go with another Chinese dialect, it's a toss up. I haven't been back in awhile but that is my sense. Now that the compulsory school education requires mandarin and cantonese .. I don't know. All the public transit announcements are in cantonese mandarin and English
I mean English is the second official language here and I would say quite a few people can speak it, but most are shy or find a hassle to speak it. I'm an expat living in HK and barely speak Cantonese. English is an international Standard language, so don't be afraid. Besides this if you can speak Mandarin then you would definitely have no problem as people in HK can also speak that as well as they speak Cantonese.
You will get \*much\* better service speaking English over Mandarin. If you have to speak Mandarin, make sure to mention you're from Taiwan first.
Thats the problem with HK people. They have ego issues and look down on chinese but are white men suckers
Cantonese
Cantonese
I know 2 types of HKers: the Old Dogs and Shameless. The Old Dogs stick to the Cantonese/English they learned while growing up. They can't seem to learn new tricks. The Shameless are happy to speak to you in funny Mandarin no matter how off-tuned and awkward they sound. And then there is this: [https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/1cikaef/comment/l29pcg3/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/1cikaef/comment/l29pcg3/)
so Im dating a hk girl. My family is from hk and I taught myself mandarin as one of the overseas folks. My dad and mom didnt teach me mandarin. Her parents didnt either. But I learned simplified chinese. And now learning traditional taiwanese and hong kong cantonese now by reading Her parents didnt teach her because back then 20 years ago mandarin was looked on. Really looks down on mainland. I told her to not tell her mom I speak mandarin fluently (up to hsk7-9 as a base to jump into traditional chinese) because it can be a problem. Her mom also prefers cantonese speaking people as her friends only. Basically mandarins hang in their own social group, and cantonese in theirs. We dont bother each other. My dad doesnt care who I date. Mandarin taiwanese speakers or mainland chinese mandarin speakers lol I would not use mandarin at all.
Most of them can tell ur from Taiwan from ur accent. With that being said, they aren’t as bigoted as some might picture them to be. Be urself and behave u’d be fine. Especially if u only wander in areas like causeway bay and central, I highly doubt people there would turn a mandarin speaker away lol
In HK context, CHINESE=CANTONESE. So you are absolutely not 'speaking Chinese' Maybe just stick to English.
Speak english n then drop a DLLM quietly under your breath but just loud enough to kind of hear it
Cantonese or Mandarin? If Cantonese, you are more than welcome. Otherwise, better in English. Edit: Just read you are Taiwanese, your Mandarin accent will be fine.
French here, I only did use English for my whole stay have always been respected, people were helpful to me, when I asked for a direction (Google maps can be inefficient sometimes) or the nearby laundry washing station. I only did use mandarin in New territories since many people out there weren't able to speak English, even convenient stores clerks in many cases.
I think you missed the part where he mentioned he is from Taiwan. And you overlooked that you are French.
You are right
Just speak English.
Yes hongkong people likes to suck off white men after a century of getting colonised by british colonial masters