Macanese Portuguese - Patua

[zhaoyun]

From what I understood the influence came mostly from Portuguese Indian and Malayan colonies travelers that went to Macau.

I think there was also trade with Brazil. And also some Portuguese families associated with the government.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Portuguese as a language is not as widespread in Macau as English is in Hong Kong. What I find interesting on the other hand is that Macau looks more typically Portuguese (the streets, the architecture, the food) than Hong Kong does British.

[zhaoyun]

Portuguese as a language is not as widespread in Macau as English is in Hong Kong. What I find interesting on the other hand is that Macau looks more typically Portuguese (the streets, the architecture, the food) than Hong Kong does British.

True, because Macau stayed more small scale so most of its historic architecture was preserved. Hong Kong is a much bigger city and much of it is over-developed, so buildings got torn down and skyscrapers put up.

Macau is a very charming city, I've been to it a couple times.

[Sebastianus Rex]

I recognize some Cantonese words mixed in, but most of it is Portuguese. Can you understand most of it?

It's understandable to a moderate degree imo, very interesting. I believe it was a dialect used mostly by a part of the population of mixed Sino-Portuguese descent, correct?

[zhaoyun]

It's understandable to a moderate degree imo, very interesting. I believe it was a dialect used mostly by a part of the population of mixed Sino-Portuguese descent, correct?

Yes, that's correct. Most people in Macau speak Cantonese. But there was a small minority, the Macanese or mixed descent who spoke Patua.