When learning a language in immersion, two of the most important skills to learn are undoubtedly to eat and to move around the city. So let's not spend all day talking about food, and learn place names!
The case of Hong Kong place names is quite particular. The bilingual history of the ancien colony (well, in HK, more than 20 years can be considered ancien) has given an English names to some places, that may be just a bit different from the Cantonese name (Mongkok vs. wong6 gok3), more than a bit different (Tai Po Market vs. daai6 bou3 heoi1) or even completely differnt (Prince Edwards vs. taai3 zi2).
In any case, most of these proper names are decomposable in meaningful parts, although for locals the meaning is opaque, just like it would be for an English local, who wouldn't know that going to Westminster, he would adress to the Western Monastery. Samely, one would not recognize today Birmingham as the settlement of Beorma's people. Nevertheless, there is a difference between these English cases and Chinese. In Chinese, the words that form these place names have not changed, and most of them are words frequently used today. For instance Twun Tong means Pond View, because Twun: 'view' and Tong: 'Pond'.
Following this logic, would you be able to guess the meaning of these MTR stations?
English name | Translation | Chinese name | Line colour | Jyutping |
Admiralty | _______ Bell | 金鐘 | Blue | gam1 zung1 |
Causeway Bay | Gong ______ | 銅鑼灣 | Island line | tung4 lo4 waan1 |
Chai Wan | Firewood ______ | 柴灣 | Island line | caai4 waan1 |
Cheung ShaWan | Long Sand _______ | 長沙灣 | Red | coeng4 saa1 waan4 |
Choi Hung | Rainbow | 彩虹 | Green | coi2 hung4 |
Fanling | Powder Ridge | 粉嶺 | Blue | fan2 leng5 |
Fo Tan | ______ beach | 火炭 | Blue | fo2 taan3 |
Hang Hau | Well ______ | 坑口 | Purple | haang1 hau2 |
Heng Fa Chuen | Apricot Estate | 杏花邨 | Island line | hang6 faa1 cyun1 |
Ho Man Tin | Every language's Field | 何文田 | Green | ho4 man4 tin4 |
Hong Kong | ______ Harbour | 香港 | Green | hoeng1 gong2 |
Hung Hom | _______ Cliff | 紅磡 | Blue | hung4 ham3 |
Kowloon Tong | _____ dragons _____ | 九龍塘 | Blue | gau2 lung4 tong4 |
Kwai Fong | ______ fragance | 葵芳 | Red | kwai4 fong1 |
Kwai Hing | Flowering Palm | 葵興 | Red | kwai4 hing1 |
Kwun Tong | Pond View | 觀塘 | Green | gun1 tong4 |
Lai Chi Kok | Lychee Corner | 荔枝角 | Red | lai6 zi1 gok3 |
Lai King | ______ View | 荔景 | Red | lai6 ging2 |
Lam Tim | Blue ______ | 藍田 | Green | laam4 tin4 |
Lohas Park | Health City | 康城 | Purple | hong1 sing4 |
Lok Fu | Joyful prosperity | 樂富 | Green | lok6 fu3 |
Long Ping | Long Screen | 朗屏 | Purple | long5 ping4 |
Mongkok | Prosperous ______ | 旺角 | Green | wong6 gok3 |
Nam Cheing | Nanchang | 南昌 | Purple | naam4 coeng1 |
Ngau Tau Kok | Ox Head ______ | 牛頭角 | Green | ngau4 tau4 gok3 |
North Point | Northern ______ | 北角 | Island line | bak1 gok3 |
Prince Edwards | Crown ______ | 太子 | Green | taai3 zi2 |
Quarry Bay | Goldfish Stream | 鰂魚涌 | Island line | zak1 jyu4 cung1 |
Sai Wan Ho | ______ ______ River | 西灣河 | Island line | sai1 waan1 ho2 |
Sham Shui Po | Deep ______ Bay | 深水埗 | Red | sam1 soei2 bou2 |
Shatin | Sand ______ | 沙田 | Blue | saa1 tin4 |
Shatin Wai | ______ walled village | 沙田圍 | Brown | saa1 tin4 wai4 |
Shau Kei Wan | Bambou Basket _____ | 筲箕灣 | Island line | saau1 gei1 waan1 |
Shek Mun | Stone ______ | 石門 | Brown | sek6 mun4 |
Sheung Shui | Upper _______ | 上水 | Blue | soeng5 soei2 |
Sheung Wan | _______Ring | 上環 | Island line | soeng5 waan4 |
Sunny Bay | Joyful _______ | 欣澳 | Purple | jan1 ou3 |
Tai Po Market | _______ Port Market | 大埔墟 | Blue | daai6 bou3 hoei1 |
Tai Shui Hang | Great ______Channel | 大水坑 | Brown | daai6 soei2 haang1 |
Tai Wai | _______ _______ | 大圍 | Brown | daai6 wai4 |
Tai Wo | _______ Peace | 太和 | Blue | taai3 wo4 |
Tai Wo Hau | _______Nest _______ | 大窩口 | Red | daai6 wo1 hau2 |
Tin Hau | _______ Queen | 天后 | Island line | tin1 hau6 |
Tin Shui Wai | Divine _______ _____ | 天水圍 | Purple | tin1 soei2 wai4 |
Tsim Sha Tsui | _______ Mouth Point | 尖沙咀 | Red | zim1 saa1 zoei2 |
Tsuen Wan | Complete _______ | 荃灣 | Red | cyun4 waan1 |
Tuen Mun | Garrison _______ | 屯門 | Purple | tyun4 mun4 |
Wan Chai | Little _______ | 灣仔 | Island line | waan1 zai2 |
Wham Poa | _______ port | 黃埔 | Green | wong6 bou3 |
Wu Kai Sha | Dark River _______ | 烏溪沙 | Brown | wu1 kai1 saa1 |
Yau Ma Tei | Hemp ______ Land | 油麻地 | Green | jau4 maa4 dei2 |
Yau Tong | _______ _______ | 油塘 | Green | jau4 tong4 |
You will find the solutions
here.
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