<p><strong>Edit:</strong></p>

<p>user3306356 wrote</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure 手信 doesn't work globally in Mandarin.</em> </p>
</blockquote>

<p>You are correct, 手信 is a Cantonese term, Don't think all Mandarin speakers know this term.</p>

<p><strong>Edit 2:</strong></p>

<ul>
<li><p><strong>紀念品</strong> (Souvenirs) or <strong>土特產</strong> (native products) from other place that you give to your friends as gift is known as  "手信" in Cantonese</p></li>
<li><p>Since there's no equivalent in Mandarin, we can only use either <strong>紀念品</strong> or <strong>土特產</strong> in Mandarin sentences</p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Edit 3</strong>:</p>

<p>chouhy suggested '伴手禮' is the equivalent of '手信', although 手信 must came from far away place, and '伴手禮' can be locally bought, I do agree "美國帶回來的手信" in Cantonese could be translated as "美國帶回來的伴手禮" in Mandarin, because the sentence indicated the gift is from 美國, not from a local store .</p>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>What/do you like anything from (Japan)?</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Mandarin:</p>

<p>"想要什麼<strong>紀念品</strong>/ <strong>土特產</strong>?" - "what <em>souvenirs/ native products</em> gift you want?" </p>

<p>"想要一些(日本的)<strong>紀念品</strong>/ <strong>土特產</strong>嗎?" - "Do you want some <em>souvenirs/ native products</em> gift (from Japan)?"</p>

<p>Cantonese: </p>

<p>"想要乜嘢<strong>手信</strong>?"</p>

<p>"想唔想要啲(日本嘅)<strong>手信</strong>?"</p>

<p>Beside "紀念品" (souvenirs) 手信 are mostly "土特產" (native products/ local  products)</p>

<p>If you visit Toronto, the 手信 (gift) you take home for friends would be either a Maple Lefts Hockey team T-shirt (souvenirs); or a bottle of maple syrup (native products)</p>

<p>手信 can also be souvenirs/ native products from your home town. For example, if you are from Toronto and you are visiting Hong Kong, the gifts you give to your Hong Kong friends would also be (多倫多的)手信 </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-15T02:41:10.290Z
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure 手信 doesn't work globally in Mandarin.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-15T04:13:30.413Z
@user3306356 you are correct, answer edited
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-14T14:22:36.923Z
2018-11-17T18:34:26.470Z
2018-11-17T18:34:26.470Z
Tang Ho
<p>Tang Ho wrote</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Since there's no equivalent in Mandarin, we can only use
  either 紀念品 or 土特產 in Mandarin sentences</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Which is not correct, there is another equivalent in Mandarin. 
<code>伴手禮</code>, I believe is a better word to use. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-16T12:41:25.657Z
Can 伴手禮 be something that is not 土特產 or 紀念品 from other place? If it cannot be, then it would be equivalent of 手信 in Cantonese (If you visit Toronto and give a bottle of maple syrup to your Toronto friend, it can only be called '礼物' not '手信')
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-16T12:45:39.837Z
I have never heard of the term 伴手禮 before. Of course, if the maple syrup was made in China, then it would certainly be a 手信
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-17T16:23:28.837Z
Anything that is 土特產 or 紀念品 will also be 伴手禮.
chouhy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-17T16:23:41.113Z
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BC%B4%E6%89%8B%E7%A4%BC/7922926
chouhy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-17T16:31:29.683Z
http://nicheappmaker.pixnet.net/blog/post/338081018-%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E6%9C%80%E8%A9%B2%E8%B2%B7%E5%92%8C%E6%9C%80%E4%B8%8D%E8%A9%B2%E8%B2%B7%E4%BC%B4%E6%89%8B%E7%A6%AE%E5%A4%A7%E5%8C%AF%E7%B8%BD
chouhy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-17T16:35:11.863Z
Food or any other things can be 伴手禮.
chouhy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-17T18:11:42.060Z
手信 have to be gifts bought from far away places. You cannot buy a bag of orange two blocks away from the house you are visiting and call this bag of orange 手信, therefore,  伴手禮 is not the equivalent  of 手信.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-17T18:16:40.673Z
*"Anything that is 土特產 or 紀念品 will also be 伴手禮"* -- the problem is  伴手禮 can be locally bought, but 手信 cannot be.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-17T18:26:20.890Z
I do agree "美國帶回來的手信" in Cantonese could be translated as "美國帶回來的伴手禮" in Mandarin, because the sentence indicated the gift is from 美國, not from a local store
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-18T09:28:42.993Z
Ohhh, I think what I wrote is ambiguous. I mean 伴手禮 = souvenirs.
chouhy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-18T09:29:45.633Z
Not 伴手禮 = 手信....
chouhy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-18T09:50:41.433Z
I think 伴手禮 is more like 'hand carrying small gift' . It can be anything, including '手信' (gift brought back from out of town ) or any local products.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-16T09:44:27.437Z
2018-11-16T09:44:27.437Z
chouhy
<p>I want to ask close friends (both in Cantonese and Mandarin) what they'd like for souvenirs. </p>

<p>“What/do you like anything from (Japan)?”</p>

<p>How do I say this in both languages? </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<mandarin><cantonese><sentence-structure>
Asking close friends what they like as souvenirs/gifts
# Asking close friends what they like as souvenirs/gifts

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-14)

I want to ask close friends (both in Cantonese and Mandarin) what they'd like for souvenirs.

“What/do you like anything from (Japan)?”

How do I say this in both languages?

Thanks

**Tags:** mandarin, cantonese, sentence-structure


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-11-14. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

**Edit:**

user3306356 wrote

> *Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure 手信 doesn't work globally in Mandarin.*

You are correct, 手信 is a Cantonese term, Don't think all Mandarin speakers know this term.

**Edit 2:**

* **紀念品** (Souvenirs) or **土特產** (native products) from other place that you give to your friends as gift is known as "手信" in Cantonese
* Since there's no equivalent in Mandarin, we can only use either **紀念品** or **土特產** in Mandarin sentences

**Edit 3**:

username_3 suggested '伴手禮' is the equivalent of '手信', although 手信 must came from far away place, and '伴手禮' can be locally bought, I do agree "美國帶回來的手信" in Cantonese could be translated as "美國帶回來的伴手禮" in Mandarin, because the sentence indicated the gift is from 美國, not from a local store .

~

> *What/do you like anything from (Japan)?*

Mandarin:

"想要什麼**紀念品**/ **土特產**?" - "what *souvenirs/ native products* gift you want?"

"想要一些(日本的)**紀念品**/ **土特產**嗎?" - "Do you want some *souvenirs/ native products* gift (from Japan)?"

Cantonese:

"想要乜嘢**手信**?"

"想唔想要啲(日本嘅)**手信**?"

Beside "紀念品" (souvenirs) 手信 are mostly "土特產" (native products/ local products)

If you visit Toronto, the 手信 (gift) you take home for friends would be either a Maple Lefts Hockey team T-shirt (souvenirs); or a bottle of maple syrup (native products)

手信 can also be souvenirs/ native products from your home town. For example, if you are from Toronto and you are visiting Hong Kong, the gifts you give to your Hong Kong friends would also be (多倫多的)手信

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure 手信 doesn't work globally in Mandarin.  
> **username_1**: @user3306356 you are correct, answer edited  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-11-16. Score: 0

username_1 wrote

> Since there's no equivalent in Mandarin, we can only use
> either 紀念品 or 土特產 in Mandarin sentences

Which is not correct, there is another equivalent in Mandarin.
`伴手禮`, I believe is a better word to use.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can 伴手禮 be something that is not 土特產 or 紀念品 from other place? If it cannot be, then it would be equivalent of 手信 in Cantonese (If you visit Toronto and give a bottle of maple syrup to your Toronto friend, it can only be called '礼物' not '手信')  
> **username_1**: I have never heard of the term 伴手禮 before. Of course, if the maple syrup was made in China, then it would certainly be a 手信  
> **username_3**: Anything that is 土特產 or 紀念品 will also be 伴手禮.  
> **username_3**: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BC%B4%E6%89%8B%E7%A4%BC/7922926  
> **username_3**: http://nicheappmaker.pixnet.net/blog/post/338081018-%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E6%9C%80%E8%A9%B2%E8%B2%B7%E5%92%8C%E6%9C%80%E4%B8%8D%E8%A9%B2%E8%B2%B7%E4%BC%B4%E6%89%8B%E7%A6%AE%E5%A4%A7%E5%8C%AF%E7%B8%BD  
> **username_3**: Food or any other things can be 伴手禮.  
> **username_1**: 手信 have to be gifts bought from far away places. You cannot buy a bag of orange two blocks away from the house you are visiting and call this bag of orange 手信, therefore,  伴手禮 is not the equivalent  of 手信.  
> **username_1**: *"Anything that is 土特產 or 紀念品 will also be 伴手禮"* -- the problem is  伴手禮 can be locally bought, but 手信 cannot be.  
> **username_1**: I do agree "美國帶回來的手信" in Cantonese could be translated as "美國帶回來的伴手禮" in Mandarin, because the sentence indicated the gift is from 美國, not from a local store  
> **username_3**: Ohhh, I think what I wrote is ambiguous. I mean 伴手禮 = souvenirs.  
> **username_3**: Not 伴手禮 = 手信....  
> **username_1**: I think 伴手禮 is more like 'hand carrying small gift' . It can be anything, including '手信' (gift brought back from out of town ) or any local products.  

---

