<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese_phonology#Historical_change" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Initial n- and l- are merged</a> for many young HK Cantonese speakers. Obviously this is not the case for all dialects of Cantonese, but HK is influential. Also, as one might expect, this sound change is considered improper by some people.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-01T04:26:58.873Z
we called it "懶音" ~ "lazy tone", imo, well, it's a plague　
水巷孑蠻
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2017-08-01T04:39:24.063Z
@水巷孑蠻 Don't worry, all the ways in which Cantonese differs from Middle Chinese were once "lazy" changes :)
Stumpy Joe Pete
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2017-08-01T04:45:31.127Z
well, i'm pessimistic ;-) gone are the days . . . 
水巷孑蠻
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2017-08-01T04:20:26.480Z
2017-08-01T04:20:26.480Z
Stumpy Joe Pete
<p>In Cantonese, <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E4%BD%A0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">你 (u+4f60)</a> is pronounced as nei5, <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/sound/nei5.Mp3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sound file</a></p>

<p>However, there are several characters with the pronunciation as lei, such as:</p>

<ul>
<li><p><a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%9A%9F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">嚟 (u+569f)</a>, lei4, <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/sound/lei4.Mp3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sound file</a>, which means "come", and is used frequently in colloquial situation.</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E6%9D%8E" rel="nofollow noreferrer">李 (u+674e)</a>, lei5, <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/sound/lei5.Mp3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sound file</a>. This one is the most common surname</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

<p>There are a few more. Frankly, sometime it's quite difficult to distinguish amongst them, by the sound only.</p>

<p>Have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-01T04:20:10.690Z
2017-08-01T13:55:03.237Z
2017-08-01T13:55:03.237Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>As Stumpy Joe says, N and L have merged. Even outside HK it is quite generalized now -- to the point that people below 40 have difficulties -- up to complete inability -- pronouncing initial N-. I don't know how many times I've heard "What is your lame?" or similar stuff...</p>

<p>I work in the wine business, and every time we have to translate a wine name in Chinese for the Chinese back label, if there's a syllable with an N or an L, it is a complete crapshoot. N- syllables sinicized as 利, L- syllables rendered as 呢, etc. When I point out the errors, my Guangdong clients, even the older <em>loubaan</em>, seem to completely miss the issue: 一樣㗎! Not quite, brother. On the other hand, wines imported in the north usually get named with Ns and Ls in their proper places.</p>

<p>For instance, the famous vineyard Pont-Canet is usually transcribed 朋特卡<strong>內</strong> (it's imported by just about every company in China, so a Mandarin sinicization prevailed), whereas the excellent La Tour Carnet vineyard, whose wines arrived in China mostly via the south, was named 拉图嘉利. I tried to get that changed to 呢 or similar -- my clients couldn't see what I was talking about. For both 嘉利 and 嘉呢 my clients said <em>gaa.Le(i)</em>.</p>

<p>On the other hand, some of my friends, who speak average to good English, are vaguely aware of the L/N issue, but can't control it 100%. N- appearing in L- words happen regularly. A friend of mine is very fond of saying <em>nousy</em> for <em>lousy</em>. I tried to tell him it's Lousy. He said, <em>Yeah, nousy!</em>. Hopeless...</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-01T14:18:08.567Z
2017-08-02T07:13:11.020Z
2017-08-02T07:13:11.020Z
dda
<p>Do more people pronounce 你  as leih or neih?
In most textbooks, and practice dialogues I seem to see it is 'neih'
For some reason, leih comes more naturally to me, and I am feeling like I heard it more publicly.</p>

<p>Does it have to do with region?</p>

<word-choice><characters>
Which is more common in Cantonese?
# Which is more common in Cantonese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-08-01)

Do more people pronounce 你 as leih or neih?
In most textbooks, and practice dialogues I seem to see it is 'neih'
For some reason, leih comes more naturally to me, and I am feeling like I heard it more publicly.

Does it have to do with region?

**Tags:** word-choice, characters


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-08-01. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

As username_1 Joe says, N and L have merged. Even outside HK it is quite generalized now -- to the point that people below 40 have difficulties -- up to complete inability -- pronouncing initial N-. I don't know how many times I've heard "What is your lame?" or similar stuff...

I work in the wine business, and every time we have to translate a wine name in Chinese for the Chinese back label, if there's a syllable with an N or an L, it is a complete crapshoot. N- syllables sinicized as 利, L- syllables rendered as 呢, etc. When I point out the errors, my Guangdong clients, even the older *loubaan*, seem to completely miss the issue: 一樣㗎! Not quite, brother. On the other hand, wines imported in the north usually get named with Ns and Ls in their proper places.

For instance, the famous vineyard Pont-Canet is usually transcribed 朋特卡**內** (it's imported by just about every company in China, so a Mandarin sinicization prevailed), whereas the excellent La Tour Carnet vineyard, whose wines arrived in China mostly via the south, was named 拉图嘉利. I tried to get that changed to 呢 or similar -- my clients couldn't see what I was talking about. For both 嘉利 and 嘉呢 my clients said *gaa.Le(i)*.

On the other hand, some of my friends, who speak average to good English, are vaguely aware of the L/N issue, but can't control it 100%. N- appearing in L- words happen regularly. A friend of mine is very fond of saying *nousy* for *lousy*. I tried to tell him it's Lousy. He said, *Yeah, nousy!*. Hopeless...


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### Answer by username_1 on 2017-08-01. Score: 2

[Initial n- and l- are merged](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese_phonology#Historical_change) for many young HK Cantonese speakers. Obviously this is not the case for all dialects of Cantonese, but HK is influential. Also, as one might expect, this sound change is considered improper by some people.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: we called it "懶音" ~ "lazy tone", imo, well, it's a plague　  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Don't worry, all the ways in which Cantonese differs from Middle Chinese were once "lazy" changes :)  
> **username_2**: well, i'm pessimistic ;-) gone are the days . . .   

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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-08-01. Score: 1

In Cantonese, [你 (u+4f60)](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E4%BD%A0) is pronounced as nei5, [sound file](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/sound/nei5.Mp3)

However, there are several characters with the pronunciation as lei, such as:

* [嚟 (u+569f)](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%9A%9F), lei4, [sound file](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/sound/lei4.Mp3), which means "come", and is used frequently in colloquial situation.

  + [李 (u+674e)](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E6%9D%8E), lei5, [sound file](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/sound/lei5.Mp3). This one is the most common surname

There are a few more. Frankly, sometime it's quite difficult to distinguish amongst them, by the sound only.

Have fun :)


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