Do Hong Kong people have an English accent?

Do Hong Kong people have an English accent?

Like many accents in Britain, Hong Kong English is non-rhotic, so /ɹ/ is only pronounced before a vowel. However, with the growing influence of American English and Canadian English, many young people in Hong Kong now pronounce the /ɹ/ in the coda of a syllable.

Can you live in Hong Kong only speaking English?

Hi Sara, most people in Hong Kong speak English, so you can totally consider living here for a few years. The local language is Cantonese. It’s nice to learn it but HK is the only place where people speak Cantonese (maybe a bit in Singapore as well).

Why do people in Hong Kong have a British accent?

Most of the people in Hong Kong speak with their own unique accent. Not PRC Chinese Accent, nor British accent. Having said that, some of those from the high society where they were part of the British civil servants in the past, they too, speak with a British accent.

Why is English spoken in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong was actually a British colony until fairly recently, with full control of the territory finally being handed over to China in 1997. Therefore there are definitely some distinct remnants of British culture and language there, with signs in all major cities also displayed in English.

Do most Hong Kongers speak English?

This statistic shows a breakdown of the Hong Kong population by language, based on the latest available census data from 2016. Based on this data, around 4.3 percent of Hong Kong inhabitants were English speakers.

Can you live in Hong Kong without knowing Chinese?

You don’t need Cantonese or Mandarin to live and work in Hong Kong in most cases. We know designers, computer programmers, financiers, teachers and business owners that have no knowledge of Cantonese or Mandarin and still make a very good living here.

Is English an official language in Hong Kong?

Language. Chinese and English are the official languages of Hong Kong. English is widely used in the Government and by the legal, professional and business sectors.

Can you survive in Hong Kong with English?

Yes, very easily. English is an official language of Hong Kong, used on all signs, taught in schools, widely understood even by people who don’t speak it well. Anyone you meet in an official capacity will speak good English.

Is Hong Kong good at English?

English is an official language in Hong Kong. A Good portion of secondary schools, and all universities in Hong Kong are using English as the medium of instruction. Therefore, most Hong Kong people can speak good English despite an ascent that may not be widely acceptable.

Can you live in Hong Kong with English?

Plenty of expats live in HK, especially Discovery Bay. Heck even a lot of Asians who immigrated at a young age come back and do just fine, without having a decent grasp of the language. I personally worked with a few. Yup – you can pretty much live anywhere in Hong Kong only speaking English.

Do schools in Hong Kong speak English?

Hong Kong is known as Asia’s World City, but its education system does not reflect that. International schools in Hong Kong use English to teach their students, while the majority of local schools use Cantonese or Mandarin as their medium of instruction.