Hong Kong Cantonese speakers usually have a full name with three syllables. The first syllable is the surname. The second and third syllables are the first name.

Some people have a first name with only one syllable. In that case, the full name consists of only two syllables.

There are a few two-syllable surnames (e.g., 歐陽 au1 joeng4 and 司徒 si1 tou4). Depending on whether the first name contains one or two syllables, the full name may consist of three or four syllables.

After we choose a Cantonese name, the name will be translated into English based on the Cantonese pronunciation. Note that this English translation differs from the Romanized Cantonese we use, as it follows a different set of rules by convention. The English translation is used in items like identity cards and credit cards.

In everyday life, we don’t often use full names to refer to someone, except in school. Here are some common ways to refer to someone.

1.

We take the last syllable of the name and add the prefix for names 阿 aa3 before it.

⚠️ The prefix for names 阿 aa3 and the sentence particle 呀 aa3 are pronounced the same, but they are different words.

2.

It is also common to use English names, especially in workplace. If the English name has only one syllable (e.g., May, Pat), we often add the prefix for names 阿 aa3 before it.

3.

When we refer to a child or want to refer to someone intimately, we can take the last syllable of the name and duplicate it.

⚠️ We rarely refer to ourselves this way.

If the last syllable of the name is the low falling tone (Tone 4), we often change the duplicated syllable to the high rising tone (Tone 2).