๐ŸŽ™๏ธ CantonBee โ€“ Your Buzz for Learning Cantonese & Hong Kong culture! ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ฐโœจ๐Ÿ

CantonBee
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๐Ÿ Welcome to the CantonBee Podcast! ๐ŸŽง Join Bee & Gwai-lou Gee as we chat about Hong Kong life, culture, and real-life Cantonese ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ฐโœจ Learn Hong Kong Cantonese in a fun, pressure-free way โ€” through everyday topics like food ๐Ÿœ, habits, cultural differences ๐ŸŒ, and funny Eastโ€“West moments ๐Ÿ˜†. ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ What youโ€™ll hear: ๐Ÿ’ฌ Hong Kong culture & lifestyle ๐ŸŒ Eastโ€“West cultural differences ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Beginner-friendly Cantonese phrases โ˜• Casual, natural conversations ๐ŸŽง Learn Cantonese naturally โ€” one conversation at a time If you want a clear, structured start to Cantonese (without feeling lost), my 30-minute crash course is linked in Instagram bio ๐Ÿ. ๐Ÿ“ฉ Follow us on Instagram ๐Ÿ‘‰ @CantonBee #CantonBee #Cantonese #LearnCantonese #HongKongCantonese

Episodes

  1. EP.10 - Lunar New Year Traditions

    4D AGO

    EP.10 - Lunar New Year Traditions

    Lunar New Year Traditions | Cantonese Culture Explained Lunar New Year isnโ€™t just about saying โ€œHappy New Yearโ€ ๐Ÿงงโœจ In this episode of the CantonBee Podcast, Bee and Gee explore the real Cantonese traditions behind Chinese New Year โ€” from ๆฎๆ˜ฅ (fai1 ceon1) decorations to ๅนดๅปฟๅ…ซๆด—้‚‹้ข (nin4 jaa6 baat3 sai2 laap6 taat3) big cleaning day. Youโ€™ll learn: ๐Ÿงน Why we clean the house before New Year ๐Ÿ–Œ Why โ€œ็ฆโ€ is often placed upside down (็ฆๅ€’ fuk1 dou3 / ็ฆๅˆฐ fuk1 dou3) ๐Ÿฝ What happens during ๅœ˜ๅนด้ฃฏ (tyun4 nin4 faan6) ๐Ÿงง The meaning behind ๆดพๅˆฉๆ˜ฏ (paai3 lei6 si6) / ๐ขญƒๅˆฉๆ˜ฏ (lo2 lei6 si6) ๐Ÿšซ Why ๅนดๅˆไธ‰ (nin4 co1 saam1) is called ่ตคๅฃ (cek3 hau2) ๐ŸŽŠ Common Lunar New Year taboos you should avoid Plus, we share 3 essential Cantonese blessings you can use this year: โœจ ๆ–ฐๅนดๅฟซๆจ‚ (san1 nin4 faai3 lok6) ๐Ÿ’ฐ ๆญๅ–œ็™ผ่ฒก (gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4) ๐Ÿ’ช ่บซ้ซ”ๅฅๅบท (san1 tai2 gin6 hong1) If youโ€™re learning Cantonese or curious about Hong Kong culture, this episode gives you practical phrases and cultural insight in one fun conversation. ๐ŸŽง Perfect for beginners who want to understand real Hong Kong Cantonese traditions. โ€” Crash course link in IG bio ๐Ÿ

    11 min
  2. EP.9 - Chinese Zodiac Animals and Their Meanings

    JAN 19

    EP.9 - Chinese Zodiac Animals and Their Meanings

    ๐ŸŽง EP.9 โ€” Chinese Zodiac Animals & Their Meanings What are the Chinese Zodiac Animals, and what do they represent? ๐Ÿงง๐Ÿฒ In this episode, Bee & Gwai-lou Gee explore the 12็”Ÿ่‚– (sap6 ji6 sang1 ciu3 โ€” the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Signs), their meanings and cultural background โ€” plus why the Zodiac year doesnโ€™t start on 1 January, but around ็ซ‹ๆ˜ฅ (lap6 ceon1 โ€” Start of Spring, the first solar term) ๐ŸŒฑ. Perfect for beginners who want to learn Cantonese vocabulary and understand Chinese culture in a simple, fun way. โธป ๐Ÿพ The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals๏ผˆๅไบŒ็”Ÿ่‚– sap6 ji6 sang1 ciu3๏ผ‰ 1๏ธโƒฃ ้ผ  syu2 โ€” Rat 2๏ธโƒฃ ็‰› ngau4 โ€” Ox 3๏ธโƒฃ ่™Ž fu2 โ€” Tiger 4๏ธโƒฃ ๅ…” tou3 โ€” Rabbit 5๏ธโƒฃ ้พ lung4 โ€” Dragon 6๏ธโƒฃ ่›‡ se4 โ€” Snake 7๏ธโƒฃ ้ฆฌ maa5 โ€” Horse 8๏ธโƒฃ ็พŠ joeng4 โ€” Goat / Sheep 9๏ธโƒฃ ็Œด hau4 โ€” Monkey ๐Ÿ”Ÿ ้›ž gai1 โ€” Rooster 1๏ธโƒฃ1๏ธโƒฃ ็‹— gau2 โ€” Dog 1๏ธโƒฃ2๏ธโƒฃ ่ฑฌ zyu1 โ€” Pig โธป ๐Ÿ Want to learn Cantonese step by step? Cantonese for Absolute Beginners โ€” 30-Minute Crash Course ๐Ÿ‘‰ Crash course link in bio ๐ŸŽ Free Cantonese Starter Pack also available! #CantonBee #Cantonese #LearnCantonese #ChineseZodiac #ๅไบŒ็”Ÿ่‚– #ChineseCulture #HongKongCantonese #CantoneseLearning #ChineseNewYear #็ซ‹ๆ˜ฅ #ZodiacAnimals #LanguagePodcast

    10 min
  3. EP.8 - Lucky & Unlucky Numbers

    JAN 4

    EP.8 - Lucky & Unlucky Numbers

    ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ CantonBee Podcast๏ฝœEpisode 8 Lucky & Unlucky Numbers in Cantonese Why is 8 lucky but 4 avoided in Hong Kong? ๐Ÿ€ In this episode, Bee and Gee talk about lucky and unlucky numbers in Cantonese and Hong Kong culture โ€” and how numbers affect daily life, from buildings to phone numbers. Perfect for Cantonese learners who want real cultural context, not just vocabulary. ๐Ÿ‘‰ Follow CantonBee on Instagram & YouTube for more Cantonese tips and Hong Kong culture. ๐ŸŽ Get the FREE Cantonese Starter Pack + Measure Words List โ€” link in bio of IG / YouTube (www.cantonbee.carrd.co)

    10 min
  4. EP. 7 - Christmas Culture Shock: Family? Romance?

    12/21/2025

    EP. 7 - Christmas Culture Shock: Family? Romance?

    Christmas means different things in British and Hong Kong culture. In Britain, Christmas is mainly family time โ€” going home, eating together, and spending the day with family. For Hongkongers, family gatherings already happen often during Chinese festivals like ๅ†ฌ่‡ณ, so Christmas is more commonly seen as a time for romance or hanging out with friends. In this episode, Bee and Gee talk about how these differences can cause culture shock โ€” especially for couples. Cantonese words youโ€™ll hear: โ€ข ๅ†ฌ่‡ณใ€dung1 zi3ใ€‘โ€“ Winter Solstice โ€ข ่–่ช•็ฏ€ใ€sing3 daan3 zit3ใ€‘โ€“ Christmas โ€ข ่–่ช•ๅฟซๆจ‚ใ€sing3 daan3 faai3 lok6ใ€‘โ€“ Merry Christmas โ€ข ไบŒไบบไธ–็•Œใ€ji6 jan4 sai3 gaai3ใ€‘โ€“ romantic time for two ๐ŸŽง Listen now and see which side you relate to more โ€” family or romance?

    12 min
  5. EP.6 - Hongkongersโ€™ Lion Rock Spirit

    12/06/2025

    EP.6 - Hongkongersโ€™ Lion Rock Spirit

    ๐ŸŽ™ CantonBee Podcast โ€” Episode 6 Lion Rock Spirit๏ฝœ็…ๅญๅฑฑ็ฒพ็ฅž๏ผšWhy Hongkongers Never Give Up ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ฐ In this episode, Bee & Gee dive into ็…ๅญๅฑฑ็ฒพ็ฅž si1 zi2 saan1 zing1 san4 โ€” the iconic Hong Kong โ€œLion Rock Spirit.โ€ We explore what makes Hongkongers so strong, hardworking, and supportive of each other, even when life gets tough. Youโ€™ll learn useful Cantonese vocabulary and phrases such as: โ€ข ็…ๅญๅฑฑ็ฒพ็ฅž si1 zi2 saan1 zing1 san4 โ€” Lion Rock Spirit; HKโ€™s never-give-up attitude โ€ข ๅ‹คๅŠ› kan4 lik6 โ€” hardworking โ€ข ๅฅฝๆฑๅพ— hou2 ngaai4 dak1 โ€” tough; able to endure hardship โ€ข ๅ””ๆ€•่พ›่‹ฆ m4 paa3 san1 fu2 โ€” not afraid of challenges โ€ข ๅ””ๆœƒ่ผ•ๆ˜“ๆ”พๆฃ„ m4 wui5 hing1 ji6 fong3 hei3 โ€” not giving up easily โ€ข ๆ‰“้€†ๅขƒๆณข daa2 jik6 ging2 bo1 โ€” fight through adversity โ€ข ้ˆๆดป่ฎŠ้€š ling4 wut6 bin3 tung1 โ€” flexible and adaptable โ€ข ไบ’็›ธๅนซๅŠฉ wu6 soeng1 bong1 zo6 โ€” help each other โ€ข ๅŠ ๆฒน gaa1 jau2 โ€” keep going / you can do it โ€ข ๅ””ๅฅฝๆ”พๆฃ„ m4 hou2 fong3 hei3 โ€” donโ€™t give up โ€ข ๅฅฝๆฑๅพ— hou2 ngaai4 dak1 โ€” very resilient (repeated to emphasise meaning) Bee & Gee also share personal stories about growing up in Hong Kong, cultural values, and how these phrases reflect the unique Hongkonger spirit. ๐Ÿ’› If youโ€™re learning Cantonese or love Hong Kong culture, this episode is perfect for you!

    9 min
  6. EP.5 - Hygiene Habits: Westerners VS Hongkongers

    11/19/2025

    EP.5 - Hygiene Habits: Westerners VS Hongkongers

    Bee and Gee are back with a fun (and slightly spicy ๐Ÿคญ) cultural chat! Today we explore the big and small hygiene habits that Westerners and Hongkongers do SO differently โ€” from shoes at the door to shower routines to how we eat at restaurants. We talk about: ๐Ÿฅฟ Why Hongkongers take off shoes at home ๐Ÿšฟ Shower-before-bed vs morning shower ๐Ÿฝ๏ธ Sharing dishes vs individual plates (and ๅ…ฌ็ญท becoming more common!) ๐Ÿซ– Washing cutlery with hot tea at ่Œถ้คๅปณ ๐Ÿ˜† Double-dipping โ€” acceptable or criminal? Lots of laughs and lots of โ€œOMG so trueโ€ moments. ๐ŸŽง Tell us: Are you a morning shower or night shower person? โธป โญ Vocabulary from this episode โ€ข ๆฑก็ณŸ wu1 zou1 โ€” dirty / messy โ€ข ไนพๆทจ gon1 zeng6 โ€” clean โ€ข ็ž“่ฆบ fan3 gaau3 โ€” to sleep โ€ข ๆฒ–ๆถผ cung1 loeng4 โ€” to shower โ€ข ็ญทๅญ faai3 zi2 โ€” chopsticks โ€ข ๅ…ฌ็ญท gung1 faai3 โ€” serving chopsticks โ€ข ้…’ๆจ“ zau2 lau4 โ€” Cantonese banquet-style restaurant โ€ข ่Œถ้คๅปณ caa4 caan1 teng1 โ€” Hong Kongโ€“style cafรฉ โ€ข ๆด—็ข— sai2 wun2 โ€” to wash dishes ๐Ÿ’› IG: @CantonBee โ€” daily Cantonese, slang, and HK culture ๐ŸŽฅ YouTube: CantonBee โ€” fun lessons & beginner-friendly videos ๐ŸŽง Listen & learn with us across Spotify + Apple Podcasts

    13 min
  7. EP.4 - Hong Kong People Donโ€™t Say I Love You - Is It True?

    11/05/2025

    EP.4 - Hong Kong People Donโ€™t Say I Love You - Is It True?

    ๐Ÿ’› Hong Kong people donโ€™t often say โ€œๆˆ‘ๆ„›ไฝ โ€ (ngo5 oi3 nei5 โ€” I love you). In fact, instead of saying ๆ„› (oi3, love), they might say โ€œ้พๆ„โ€ (zung1 ji3 โ€” like) to express affection, or simply show love through actions โ€” cooking your favourite dish, checking if youโ€™ve eaten, or quietly doing something thoughtful. ๐Ÿ’ฌ In this heartfelt and funny episode, Bee ๐Ÿ and Gee ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง dive deep into how Hongkongers express emotions differently from Western cultures. โœจ What youโ€™ll hear in this episode: โ€ข Why Hong Kong people rarely say โ€œๆˆ‘ๆ„›ไฝ โ€ โ€” and what they say instead โค๏ธ โ€ข The meaning of โ€œๆˆ‘้พๆ„ไฝ โ€ (I like you) and when itโ€™s used in Cantonese โ€ข Real-life examples of how families and couples show love without words โ€ข Funny comparisons between British and Hong Kong ways of expressing emotion โ€ข How language, culture, and upbringing shape emotional expression Bee shares her personal experience growing up in Hong Kong, where open emotional expression wasnโ€™t common. Gee, coming from the UK, gives his perspective as someone used to hearing โ€œI love youโ€ more often โ€” and together, they uncover the warmth and subtlety behind Hong Kong love culture. ๐Ÿ’ž ๐Ÿ’ก Learn Cantonese phrases from this episode: โ€ข ๆˆ‘ๆ„›ไฝ  (ngo5 oi3 nei5) โ€” I love you โ€ข ๆˆ‘้พๆ„ไฝ  (ngo5 zung1 ji3 nei5) โ€” I like you โ€ข ้ฃŸๅ’—้ฃฏๆœชๅ‘€๏ผŸ(sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6 aa3?) โ€” Have you eaten yet? โ€ข ๅฐๅฟƒๅ‘€๏ผ(siu2 sam1 aa3!) โ€” Be careful! โ€ข ่จ˜ๅพ—็€ๅคšไปถ่กซๅ‘€๏ผ(gei3 dak1 zoek3 do1 gin6 saam1 aa3!) โ€” Remember to wear more clothes! These everyday phrases may sound simple, but to Hongkongers, they often mean โ€œI love youโ€ โ€” just without the words. ๐ŸŽง Learn Cantonese. Understand Hong Kong. Subscribe to the CantonBee Podcast for more stories, laughter, and cultural insights โ€” all while improving your Cantonese! ๐Ÿ Follow @CantonBee on Instagram and YouTube for daily Cantonese tips, Reels, and learning resources. ๐ŸŽ Download your Free Cantonese Starter Pack โ†’ [link in bio or show notes] ๐ŸŽต Music: โ€œRainโ€ Musician: @iksonmusic #CantonBee #Cantonese #HongKongCulture #LoveInHongKong #LearnCantonese #ๆˆ‘ๆ„›ไฝ  #ๆˆ‘้พๆ„ไฝ 

    10 min
  8. EP. 3 - Gwai-lou Gee Tries Hong Kong & Asian Food

    10/21/2025

    EP. 3 - Gwai-lou Gee Tries Hong Kong & Asian Food

    In this hilarious and mouth-watering episode, Bee and Gee explore some of the most iconic (and surprising!) Hong Kong and Asian foods โ€” from classic snacks to dishes that make Gee say โ€œWhaaat?!โ€ ๐Ÿคฏ ๐Ÿฝ๏ธ Featured foods: ๐Ÿฅฎ ๆœˆ้ค… (jyut6 beng2) โ€” Mooncake ๐Ÿฃ ้ญš็”Ÿ (jyu4 saang1) โ€” Sashimi ๐Ÿฆ‘ ๆตท่†ฝ (hoi2 daam2) โ€” Sea urchin ๐Ÿ” ้ณฏ็ˆช (fung6 zaau2) โ€” Chicken feet ๐Ÿฆ† ้ดจๆŽŒ (aap3 zoeng2) โ€” Duck web ๐Ÿ„ ็‰›่‚š (ngau4 tou5) โ€” Beef tripe ๐Ÿฎ ็‰›่ˆŒ (ngau4 sit6) โ€” Ox tongue ๐Ÿฅš ็šฎ่›‹ (pei4 daan6) โ€” Century egg ๐Ÿธ ็”ฐ้›ž (tin4 gai1) โ€” Frog ๐Ÿ™ ๆตท่œ‡ (hoi2 zit3) โ€” Jellyfish Gee gives his real gwai-lou reactions ๐Ÿ˜ฑ while Bee explains the Cantonese names, meanings, and cultural stories behind each dish โ€” all with plenty of laughter and fun!

    16 min
  9. EP. 2 - Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions

    10/05/2025

    EP. 2 - Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions

    ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ CantonBee Podcast EP.2 โ€” Mid-Autumn Festival ไธญ็ง‹็ฏ€ๅฟซๆจ‚! ๐ŸŒ•โœจ In this festive episode, Bee and Gwai-lou Gee chat about the Mid-Autumn Festival โ€” one of the most beautiful and meaningful celebrations in Chinese culture! ๐Ÿ’ฌ๐Ÿ’› Youโ€™ll learn fun Cantonese words and phrases like: ๐ŸŒ• ไธญ็ง‹็ฏ€ๅฟซๆจ‚ ใ€zung1 cau1 zit3 faai3 lok6ใ€‘โ€“ Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! ๐Ÿฅฎ ๆœˆ้ค… ใ€jyut6 beng2ใ€‘โ€“ mooncake ๐ŸŽ‘ ๅš็ฏ€ ใ€zou6 zit3ใ€‘โ€“ to celebrate a festival ๐Ÿฎ ็‡ˆ็ฑ  ใ€dang1 lung4ใ€‘โ€“ lantern Plus, youโ€™ll hear about how people in Hong Kong celebrate by lighting lanterns, eating mooncakes, and enjoying the bright full moon together. ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ’ซ Listen now and celebrate ไธญ็ง‹็ฏ€ with us โ€” full of stories, laughter, and Cantonese learning fun! ๐Ÿฅฎ๐Ÿ

    10 min
  10. EP. 1 - Mid-Autumn Festival Legend

    09/25/2025

    EP. 1 - Mid-Autumn Festival Legend

    The legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival ไธญ็ง‹็ฏ€ zung1 cau1 zit3 = Mid-Autumn Festival ๅŽ็พฟ hau6 ngai6 = Hou Yi ๅซฆๅจฅ soeng4 ngo4 = Changโ€™e ็Ž‰ๅ…” juk6 tou3 = Jade Rabbit ๆœˆ้ค… jyut6 beng2 = mooncake ็‡ˆ็ฑ  dang1 lung4 = lantern ่ณžๆœˆ soeng2 jyut2 = enjoy moon gazing

    2 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

๐Ÿ Welcome to the CantonBee Podcast! ๐ŸŽง Join Bee & Gwai-lou Gee as we chat about Hong Kong life, culture, and real-life Cantonese ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ฐโœจ Learn Hong Kong Cantonese in a fun, pressure-free way โ€” through everyday topics like food ๐Ÿœ, habits, cultural differences ๐ŸŒ, and funny Eastโ€“West moments ๐Ÿ˜†. ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ What youโ€™ll hear: ๐Ÿ’ฌ Hong Kong culture & lifestyle ๐ŸŒ Eastโ€“West cultural differences ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Beginner-friendly Cantonese phrases โ˜• Casual, natural conversations ๐ŸŽง Learn Cantonese naturally โ€” one conversation at a time If you want a clear, structured start to Cantonese (without feeling lost), my 30-minute crash course is linked in Instagram bio ๐Ÿ. ๐Ÿ“ฉ Follow us on Instagram ๐Ÿ‘‰ @CantonBee #CantonBee #Cantonese #LearnCantonese #HongKongCantonese

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