# Cantonese: Thank you!



## yuechu

大家好！

If I want to thank people on the forum for their help (in Cantonese) (either in advance or after they've helped me), should I say 多謝 or 唔該? Are both correct in this situation?
Thanks!


----------



## SuperXW

If you trouble someone (before or after), or they have to do extra work for you, mostly passive, you say 唔該.
If someone gives your some gift or benefit actively and willingly, you say 多謝.
For your situation, 多謝 is the right one.
Another thing: 唔該 is oral but 多謝 is used as standard Chinese for texts. So you can type 多謝 anyway, and Cantonese speaking people would understand it as standard Chinese.


----------



## yuechu

So I should say 多謝 in this context, eh? OK, thanks, SuperXW! 多謝!


----------



## Ghabi

Not really, in this context one would say 唔該 or 唔該晒 (listen to it at forvo.com), the latter being more emphasised.


----------



## SuperXW

Is that? Could you please explain the rule?


----------



## brofeelgood

The norm is:
「多謝(晒)」 when you're given or bought something (usually physical), e.g. someone buys you dinner.
「唔該(晒)」 when you receive a favour or service, e.g. someone opens the door for you.

-----
Example 1: When you take a taxi somewhere, you pay the driver and tell him 「唔該」 (for the service he rendered), and he tells you 「多謝」 (for the patronage/payment).

Example 2: When you borrow money, you say 「唔該」 (for the help you're receiving), not 「多謝」 (unless you have no intention of paying him back).


----------



## SuperXW

You are right. We should say 唔該 in the above case, but I'm still not totally clear.
If someone provide some benefit intentionally, not asking for any reward, shouldn't we say 多謝 rather than 唔該? If a friend help me deliberately, say, knowing me in trouble, lending me money even though I didn't ask, and he did not expect any reward, shouldn't I say 多謝你幫我 instead of 唔該你幫我?
I always feel 多謝你幫我/你嘅好意 is idiomatic but 唔該你幫我/你嘅好意 is not...


----------



## brofeelgood

The guidelines I gave work better when 唔該/多謝 are used as "standalone" replies, e.g. when a waiter brings you your food (唔該!) or a friend buys you a beer (多謝晒!).

"多謝你嘅XX" is idiomatic because it's a full sentence indicating XX was given to you (e.g. 好意, 建議, 支持, 意見 and 幫忙). It's also acceptable to say "多謝你YY" where YY is an action (e.g. 救咗我 and 借錢畀我), for example: "好多謝你幫咗我呢個大忙，真係唔該晒你呀！"

It's confusing, I know. Too many exceptions. That's also why I stopped short of calling it a "rule" earlier.


----------



## yuechu

Thank you all for your help! It is very interesting!
唔該晒！


----------



## yuechu

If I want to thank more than one person (on the forums, for example), can I say 唔該晒你哋?


----------



## Ghabi

You can, of course.


----------



## yuechu

Thanks, Ghabi!


----------



## yuechu

I've asked some Cantonese people whether to say 唔該 or 多謝 after playing a game of badminton and different people have told me different answers (to use one or the other). Would either one sound ok, in your opinion?
Thanks!


----------



## conniefok

In the Cantonese-speaking area where I live,  I seldom hear this two words "唔該" or "多謝 " after playing badminton. I think using"唔該" or "多謝 " would be a little bit strange in this situation. I suggest you can say "今日玩得好开心！我们下次有时间再约出来打羽毛球。“
In my opinion, there is no difference between 唔该 and 多谢 in the second situation.


----------



## yuechu

Thanks for your reply! Maybe it is hard to know which one to say here because, as you said, Cantonese people would not necessarily say "Thank you" in this situation (while in English, it is quite normal).
唔該晒！


----------

