''Easier than using chopsticks!" - PETER BOCZAR, leo Burnett ltd.

includes CD with pronunciation aid

and full-length conversations

No Swea-t Caf'\-tOf'\ese

ArYl~ Leur'\~

Asia 2000 Limited Hang Kong

2003 Amy Leung All Rights Reserved

ISBN:962-8783-29-7

Published by Asia 2000 Ltd lB'h Floor, Hollywood Centre, 77-91 Queen' s Road West,

Hong Kong

http:/ /www.asia2000.com. hk

Typeset in Futuro by Julia Ng Illustrated by Sunshine Wong

Printed in Hong Kong by You Yee Printing & Binding Co. (H .K.)

First Printing 2003 Second Printing 2005 Third Printing 2007

The rights of Amy Leung to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted in accordance with sed ion 77and 78 of the United Kingdom's Copyright Designs and Patents Ad 1988.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior written consent in ony form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Contents Preface How to Use the Book

Basics Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Topics Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15

Appendices

What is Cantonese? Numbers and Things

Greetings Physical Appearance Transportation: Going to Work and Going Out Around the Home Finding your Way Bargaining: At the Market and Shopping Time, Dote and Day of the Week Going on a Business Trip First Visit to Hong Kong Interests and Hobbies Weather In the Kitchen Chinese Dim Sum and local Cafes

Appendix I Geographical Terms Appendix II Idioms and Slang Expressions Appendix Ill Glossary Appendix IV A Chinese Recipe

Acknowledgements About the Author

vii ix

3 15

29 47 55

67 75 83 95 105 115 129 135 145 153

168 175 182 203

205 207

Preface

1\.1 o S w e a -t: C a 1'\ -t: o 1'\ e s e is designed to help non-Cantonese speakers from all walks of life to learn to speak the language while having fun . While it is written primarily for expatriate residents and frequent visitors to Hong Kong, it can be used by anyone interested in the language. Cantonese is spoken by over 70 million people worldwide; aside from in Hong Kong, Cantonese is spoken in many parts of China's Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, as well as the Special Administrative Region of Macau . It can be heard in "Chinatowns" in cities across the world, and it is the language of Hong Kong's cinema, which enjoys global popularity, particularly those featuring such stars as Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Chow Yun-fat, and Alan Tam, just to name a few.

After July 1 st, 1997, English and Mandarin became Hong Kong's tow official languages. However, Cantonese is still the most widely spoken dialect used in everyday life. So while knowing Cantonese may not be essential for doing business in Hong Kong, you will have a lot more fun living here if you know just a little. Although many Hong Kong people, such as taxi drivers and shopkeepers, can speak at least some English, expatriates will find it valuable to learn some basic Cantonese phrases in order to find their way around . It is especially useful while shopping at the market and for those who live on outlying islands such as Lantau, Lamma and Cheung Chou, where the use of English is more limited. Speaking Cantonese may even help break the ice at parties and among your co-workers in the office, and earn you respect for your efforts. The local people might have a laugh at your expense but they will certainly appreciate your trying to speak their language.

This book has been written to guide you through learning Cantonese in on enjoyable way. The chapters ore arranged by "topics" or situations that arise most frequently in everyday life. Each provides you with a list of useful words and phrases so that you con speak with confidence local people . Guided conversations, which ore accompanied by the CD recording, help place what you hove learned into living context. In addition, there ore explanations of grammar and sentence patterns for your complete understanding of Cantonese. Lost but not least, pop-up boxes containing fun and useful information on the rituals of work, ploy and love guide you towards fully immersing yourself in local culture.

So let's start learning Cantonese in a fun new way!

Amy Leung Hong Kong

How to Use This Book

Over the years that I spent training non-Chinese students in the Cantonese language. I come to realize that that there was a Strong demand for on up-to-dote textbook focusing on the Practical needs of expatriates. What's more, it needed to be Presented in a manner that mode Cantonese. "that impossible Language!" - easy and enjoyable to learn.

This book meets that demand . With its emphasis on vocabulary and practical application, it is suitable for learners at both beginner's and intermediate levels, as well as those more advanced learners who simply wont to brush up on what they already know. The unique integration of "pop-up" cultural boxes with the more conventional elements of the textbook should guide the business traveler, expatriate resident and anyone else keen to learn Cantonese in the practical usage of newly acquired vocabulary and phrases.

No Swea-t Car"li:Or"lese consists of a textbook and a CD recording . The four elements to the textbook- Lingo, Chit Chat, One-liners and Grammatical Notes - present Vocabulary, guided conversation, useful expressions and basic Grammar to the student. They should be approached in that Sequence by beginners, who con then follow through the book In its logical order.

Whenever you see the recording icon{) , you should follow the text while listening to the pronunciation of the native speaker on the CD, then repeat several times. You should keep returning to the recordings to check the accuracy of yours pronunciation . The CD begins with a brief introduction and then continues into chapter 1 .Each subsequent chapter has its own separate track on the CD e.g. for chapter 2 ploy track 2.

All of the Cantonese vocabulary is written phonetically. Listening to the CD while studying the text will allow you to become familiar with the method that I have used . On a few occasions, I have used a colloquial pronunciation, rather than the exact pronunciation, when the former is in general use in Hong Kong.

For intermediate to advanced learners, the textbook serves as a unique reference work on everyday language and culture, and can be used according to individual needs. The recording can also be used independently of the textbook - for instance, while driving in the car or flying on a plane - as a way to keep you thinking and pronouncing correctly in Cantonese.

In addition, the appendices are a useful reference for students at all levels. The city and country names in Appendix I are listed in the alphabetical order of their Cantonese pronunciation, so as to promote listening comprehension. The idioms and slang expressions in Appendix II are arranged according to common theme. Appendix Ill serves as a mini dictionary of all the vocabulary introduces in each chapter.

It takes time to learn a language. I suggest that you use the CD and the textbook together at least three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes to get the best results. Time management is also important. To increase the frequency of your exposure to the material, you may wish to regularly listen to the recording on your way to work. Finally, learning requires a fun attitude toward practice. The best way to learn effectively is to practice loudly and unabashedly with friends or with co-workers every chance you get.

13>asics

I

J What is Cantonese? Cantonese is the most widely spoken dialect used in everyday life in Hong Kong . It is a dialect of Chinese, a "tonal " language - the meaning of the word depends on the tone used to pronounce it (see 1 .1 ). Chinese dialects are a closely related group of languages which share a similar writing system of " characters" , but which are spoken differently. The precise number of these dialects is the subject of debate - there are essentially seven main languages (including Cantonese) and perhaps two hundred minor ones.

1 .1 What are Tones?

Tones are the most troublesome aspect of learning to speak Cantonese for native English speakers. While Chinese grammar is much simpler than that of English , tones provide a more than adequate challenge for the novice . However, after a few weeks or months you will have mastered the tones, and will be able to pronounce Cantonese with confidence, astounding your English-speaking friends in the process.

A tone is the relative pitch in the range of one's voice. While in English varying the pitch of one' s voice is used for emphasis or to form a question, pronouncing a Cantonese word with a high pitched voice is almost certain to give the word a different meaning than saying the same vowels and consonants with a lower pitched voice . While other Asian languages, e.g . Thai and Vietnamese, also make use of tones, modern Cantonese has seven tones, which is more than most other languages, making it difficult for most beginners to learn . In Cantonese, the same vowels and consonants pronounced with different tones can have six or seven different meanings. An example of this is the word "Si :"

3

No Swea-t Can-tonese

Tone How the Cantonese Meaning word is wriHen in the

Roman alphabet

High Falling Si or Si Poem High

High Rising Si Feces

Middle Si Try

Low Falling Slh Time

Low Rising Sih City

Low Sih Matter

To help you pronounce as you read we will use the following system of writing tones. 1. For the high tones, we put the appropriate tone mark on

the top of the first vowel/final. 2 . For the middle tone, there is no tone mark at all. 3 . For low falling/rising tones, we put "h" after the vowel!

final. plus the appropriate tone mark. 4 . For the low tone, we put "h" after the vowel/final.

4

Chap-ter/ wha-t is Can-tonese ?

The following graphic illustrates the range of tones in Cantonese:

--=--------

Q) Cl r::: e

t

~.~;,, High or High Falling (Si or

Sl)

Middle (Si)

One simplification for the purposes of this book is that we will not distinguish between the High Falling and High tones, as for most speakers there is no audible difference . Therefore, practically speaking, the number of tones is reduced to six. See, it' s easier already!

5

1\/o Swea-t Can-tonese

TONAL TROUBLES

You may have heard from friends who have had some exposure to Cantonese that occasionally, this aspect of the language can lead to some interesting situations - either amusing or embarrassing depending on your perspective . Here are a few examples:

A Ordering a Hot Dog - One of my students went Ia a cafe to order a hat dog. Eager to practice Cantonese, he confidently spoke the words that I had taught him the day before. Unfortunately he made a slight mistake in the lone, and asked instead for a "hot male organ". The staff couldn 't help laughing but my student wasn't embarrassed, as he knew that practicing is the only way to learn a language.

The Canadian and The Armpit- Another of my students was looking for his Canadian colleague at work and he used the wards he had just learned to ask his Chinese colleague, "Where is the Canadian guy?" However, he used the wrong tone, and actually said, "Where is Mr. Armpit?" They all had a laugh .

"Light up" before you "Hit the plane" - One time , someone asked my student whether he had a lighter. However, my student thought he said, "Hit the plane"- which happens to be slang for "masturbate ." He immediately punched the unsuspecting smoker. The pronunciation is so similar that he mistook it as something rude. It took him a while to clear himself out of that mess!

... ~--------~~ 6

Chllpter 1 Wh;Jt is Cllntonese!

1 .2 Pronunciation Drill

Now try the following Pronunciation Drill (I promise not to hove too many of these) . Repeat a few times after the recording, then try it on your own :

High High Middle Low Low Low Rising Falling Rising

Ba ba ba bah bah bah

Do do do doh doh doh

Si si si sih sih sih

Po pa pa pah pah pah

Gwa gwa gwa gwah gwah gwah

Syu syu syu syuh syuh syuh

Fan fan fan fohn fohn fohn

Congratulations! You 've now correctly pronounced all six tones for the first time! Just do that whenever you speak Cantonese, and things will go smoothly.

7

0

N o Swe1.3 Initials and Finals

In addition to tones , we have 19 Initials and 51 Finals in Cantonese. Initials are the consonants that make up the be-ginning of the syllable . Finals are the vowels and consonants that make up the end of the syllable.

To summarize :

1. Initial = the beginning sound of the syllable. 2 . Final = the ending sound of the syllable. 3. Tone mark = the relative pitch of the syllable.

Here are three examples of syllables :

tone mark

I I\ initial final

initial final

initial final

8

Good

Good looking Good quality

I, me

High tone

Middle tone

low tone

Ch

No Swe

Ch

No 5we;;t C;;ntonese

0 Final Cantonese Meaning Chinese example The 0 go song 11! ''o"

oi hoi rm finals open on gon dry ~

ong mohng busy ijt ot hot thirsty Ill ok lohk to get off >1! ou h6u good lH

The u fu biller a "u"

finals ui bui cup ~ un bon to move ut fut wide Ill

ung dung cold )m uk ok house ~

The yu syo book il "y" It finals yun syOn sour

yut syut snow ~

12

Ch;Jpter 1 Wh in English. The Initial may be pronounced as < I> , but not vice versa , e .g . neih ("you") can be pronounced as lei h, but lei , which is "pear" in Engl ish, shouldn 't be pronounced as nei . The Finals < aa > and < a >: The vowel length of the Final could affect the pronuncia -tion of the syllable. For example, a long vowel has a weak ending and a short vowel has a strong ending .

(go) ~ fan (to divide) fl (mountain) lll sCm (new) ~

boon (class) m ban (run) ~

", .................. F~'~~~.._~ , ... ._ Now that you can pronounce Cantonese words without diffi-culty (or without too much difficulty), you're ready to begin to learn how to make actual words and sentences!

Go to the next chapter and speak loudly and clearly!!!

13

2 Numbers and Things For the first 9,999 numbers, the Chinese counting system looks just like the one you are probably familiar with . From 10,000 onwards, things start getting complicated . However, once you've been introduced to the basic concept behind the Chinese count-ing system, you'll be counting sheep in Cantonese in no time.

2.1 Numbers

Here is a list of cardinal numbers (numbers we usually use for counting) in Cantonese:

1 yat 20 yih sohp =+ 2 yih 30 scam sohp =+ 3 scam 40 sei sohp lm+ 4 sei 1m 50 ngh sohp 11+ 5 ngh 11 60 luhk sohp i\+ 6 luhk i\ 7 chat t: 250 yih book ngh =s11+ 8 boot {\ sohp (2x100+50) 9 g6u 1l 10 sohp + 303 scam book =a= 0 llhng

llhng saom (3x100+3)

100 yot book -8

1000 yo! chln -=f 10000 yo! moohn

- 10002 yo! moohn llhng yih (1 0000+2) -= 100,000 sohp moohn +M 1,000,000 yo! book moohn -sa 10,000,000 yo! chln moohn -=fii 100,000,000 yat ylk -fl

15

0

No Swei/t Ci!nfonese

Q ~~--~--~------------......... ... When learning Ia count, children in Hong Kong recite their numbers in a "nursery rhyme: "

1, 2 , 3 3, 2, 1 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5, 6, 7

yot yih scam scam yih yot yot yih scam sei ngh luhk chat

... which is sung to the same tune as " This old man, he played one, he played Knick Knack on my drum."

Counting system comparison :

You may have noticed that the Chinese have a word for 10,000, maahn. Maahn acts as a counting unit just like sahp (1 0), back (1 00) and chin (1 ,000) do.

To summarize, here is a comparison of the Chinese and Western counting systems:

Chinese Western

Sahp 10 + ten Back 100 i3 hundred Chin 1,000 =f thousand Maahn 10,000 ten thousand Sahp maahn 100,000 +M hundred thousand Yet back maahn 1,000,000 -sM 1 million Yet Yik 100,000,000

-m lOOmillion

16

CJ.,apter2 N UMBers and 17-.int;,s

Build ing numbers :

Sahp yet 10 + 1 +-Yih sahp scam 2x10+3 -+=

--

Yet back llhng chat 1 X 100 + 0 + 7 -s~Jt:: Yet back chat sahp 1 X 100 + 70 -st::+ Yet maahn llhng chat 1 X 10,000 + 7 -MIJ!t::

"Yih " and " Leuhng " compared :

In Cantonese, we have 2 words for the number "2 :"

"Yih" (=) is used for numbers such as 2 .

e .g My telephone number is 2345-6677 (yih scam sei ngh luhk luhk chat chat)

"Leuhng" (~) is used for persons or objects before the classi-fier(see 2 .2) .

e.g Leuhng gihn Sci do si. (Two French toast please.)

Remember: "leuhng" is not used for specifying pairs of things such os o pair of trousers , o pair of glosses, etc. because you can't spl it them aport. The word for "pair" is the classifier "deui" (see 2 .2) .

17

No 5we;Jt Ciinfonese

-~~~~~:~=====~-----~-------LUCKY NUMBERS Despite their worldliness, Hong Kong people con be qu ite superstitious. like in many other cultures, they believe in lucky numbers . But unlike other cultures , these auspicious (or inauspicious) numbers are chosen for their similarities in pro-nunciation to other words. The most common ore:

Number Implied meaning Synonym

8 boot prosperous g) foot 18 sohp boot certain prosperity .g}saht foot 28 yih sohp boot easily prosper ~g}yihfoot 9 g6u forever ~ g6u 3 sO am life ~ sOong 4 sei die/death 9E sei 14 sahp sei certain death II9Esaht slii 24 yih sohp sei easily die ~9Eyih sei That's why some Hong Kong buildings don't hove the 14th floor, just like some Western buildings lock the 13th. Some people even pay for license plates that have especially auspicious num-bers on them. I used to work for a company in New Zealand that sold such license plates. Prices ranged between a few hun-dred to millions of New Zealand dollars!

-'11! ....... _____ 7111111-.....

Practice: Try these on your own, then listen to the answer on the tape.

a) b) c)

18

17 68 305

d) e) f)

271 9,800 41,622

Cf.,apter2 A.lum5ers and 1J.,ir'o4s

2.2 Classifiers

A classifier is a measuring word that helps describe the quan-tity of a noun.

It is used in the following way:

For example:

cardinal number + classifier + noun

one/a piece of toast yet gihn do sf

The word "gihn" is the classifier of toast (do sf) .

one/a bowl of rice yet wtJn foehn

The word "wun" is the classifier of rice (foehn).

Classifiers usually describe the shape, size or function of the noun. Their assignment to specific nouns is sometimes logical (i .e. you can have either a stick or a block of wood depending on the visible shape of the object), and sometimes idiomatic (i.e. the combination of the classifier and the noun is specific to the language) . Being a particularly idiomatic language, Cantonese tends to have many of the latter. Also, unlike English, every noun denoting an object or a concept must be described by a classifier in Cantonese.

((

19

No 5wei!f Ciinfonese

Here are a few more classifiers:

Bun

Go

Ji

nuh

Goon

Go

Jek

Gihn

Cheut

Fohn

Deui

20

1m

1JD Tn

II

1!f:

ttl fn lj

for books (syu), magazines (jaahp ji) publications, etc.

for persons, roundish objects, such as oranges, small equipment (clock)

literally a "bottle", e.g. "Yet ji j

C J.,apterZ

2.3 Ordinal Numbers

When a cardinal number is preceded by "Daih," it becomes an ordinal.

Daih yat the first

Daih yih the second

.. . and so on.

In order to say the equivalent of "the first one/ piece/ etc." in Cantonese you add the appropriate classifier after the ordinal :

e .g. Daih yih tiuh (kwohn) The second one (dress)

Daih sei jek (syuhn) The fourth one (ship)

This means that, in Cantonese, the word "one" in the sentence "the first one" will always be the classifier relevant to the noun you are talking about.

2. ,, __ _. .................. ~ .... ~-

21

No Swe

Chapter 2

We use "go" to express amounts of money with decimal places:

$7.50 $11.40 $30.20

Chat go bun Sohp yat go sei

Saom sohp go llhng yih

How did that go again?

The formula:

number of dollars + decimal (go) + number of nhouh"

1. Think of "go" as the decimal point. 2 . Build the number by saying the number of dollars + "go"

+ the number of "houh" (tens of cents) . 3 . Omit the number of dollars (i .e. just say "go" + number of

"houh") if the number of whole dollars is one:

$1 .20 Goyih (the number "1" can be omitted)

4. If the number of dollars is a multiple of ten ($1 0, $20, $30 etc .) put lihng (0) after the word "go" :

$30.20 Scam sahp go lihng yih

5. The unit for dollar (man) must be used if the amount of money is in whole dollars :

$30 Scam sahp man

23

0 No Swei/t Ciinfonese

To sum up:

$1.50 Go bun 11$ $2.30 Leuhng go scam ~11= $2.40 Leuhng go sei ~111m $79 Chat sohp g6u t::+1l

$25.40 Yih sohp ngh go sei =+nilll!l

Estimates :

When estimating amounts, substitute the word "gei" for the number you ore uncertain about:

$1 ? Sohp ge i man ten odd dollars +~~ $ ?0 Gei sohp man several tens of dollars ~+~ $1?? Book gei man hundred something dollars 8~~ $?00 Gei book man several hundreds of dollars ~8~ $1 ,??? Chin gei man thousand something dollars =f~~ $? ,??0 Gei chin man several thousands of dollars ~=f~ $1 ?,??? Moohn gei ten thousand something -~~

man dollars

$??,??0 Gei moohn several tens of thousands ~-~ man of dollars

24

Chap-ter 2.

Practice :

Try to pronounce these on your own, then listen to the answer on the tape :

a) $1.30 d) $1.50 b) $2 .80 e) $40.20 c) $130 f) $600

Congratulations! You 've mastered the basics of Cantonese. See, no sweat!

Now you ' re ready to learn to speak Cantonese in a variety of everyday situations. Turn the page and have fun!

25

Topics

No Swe

Chap-ter 3 t=.ree-tinc,s

Languages (~~) yuh yihn : 0 Neih sik g6ng Gw6ngdung w

No 5we

CJ.,ap-ter 3 C.reetif14s

Conventions for greetings :

1. In the morning, we greet someone with "J6u sahn" or " Neih h6u" and you should reply with the same phrase to be polite.

2 . Nowadays, in the afternoon, instead of saying "ngh on," which is more formal , we use the colloquial way of greeting, "sihk j6 faahn meih a? " which means " have you eaten?" in English . This especially applies to greeting your colleagues or friends.

3 . In Cantonese, the greeting expression " j6u tau" means "good night" in English and is used before bedtime.

4 . " Do jeh" is used to express your thanks for a gift, money or gratitude for some special favour, compliments and invitations, etc . "Mh goi" is used when tea or some other object e .g cigarettes (a favorite of Ch inese businessmen) is offered . Alternatively, you say "Mh goi" to thank someone for his or her service. For example, after your hair is done at the salon, you should say "Mh goi" to the stylist. However, if they ask you for $300 for the bill , they have to say " Do jeh" and not "Mh goi ." The most common way of answering " Do jeh" or "Mh goi" is "Mh sci," which means " it's my pleasure" or "not at all. "

5 . " Deui mh jyuh" or "Mh h6u yi si " are expressions for apolo-gizing and are both equivalent to the English "sorry." However, "Mh h6u yi si " is only used for minor apologies; for example, when you step lightly on someone's foot or elbow someone in the MTR. " Deui mh jyuh" is used to apologise for more serious offenses, e.g . if you break someone' s Japanese camera . Then you should say " Deui mh jyuh" because cam-eras are usually expensive . In response to both of the above expressions, we use "Mh gan yiu," which means "never mind" or " it doesn 't matter."

33

No Swe

Chapter 3

B. Chit Chat

1. A businessman greets a client in the meeting room. B: Businessman (seung yahn) C : Client (hook) B: J6u sahn.

(Good morning.)

C: J6u sahn . (Good morning.)

B: Neih h6u ma? (How are you?)

C: Ng6h h6u, yauh sam, neih ne? (I am fine, thanks, and you?)

B: Ng6h h6u, yauh sam. (I ' m fine, thank you .)

2 . Self-introduction .

A: Siu je, gwai sing a? (Excuse me, miss/madam. What's your surname?)

B: Ng6h sing Leuhng . Neih ne? (My surname is Leung. How about you?)

A : Ng6h sing Schumann. Leuhng siu je neih h6u . (My surname is Schumann . Nice to meet you, Miss Leung.)

B: Schumann sin saang neih h6u . (Nice to meet you, Mr. Schumann.)

35

No Swe

CJ.,ap-ter 3

5 . In the elevator.

A: Siu je, ngoh bong neih Ia? (Miss, allow me to help you.)

B: Mh goi. (Thank you .)

A: Siu je, neih giu mat yeh menQ a? (Miss, what is your name?)

B: Ngoh giu Kathie. (My name is Kathie.)

A: Neih jouh bin hohng go? (What do you do?)

B: Ngoh haih Leuhtsl. (I am a Lawyer.)

A: Neih hou. (Nice to meet you.)

B: Neih hou . (Nice to meet you.)

6. Romance . Anthony is chatting with Debbie, a Eurasian.

A : Siu je, neih slk rhh slk gong Gwongdung w6 a? (Miss, can you speak Cantonese?)

D : Sik, ngoh slk gong Gwongdung w6 . (Yes, I can speak Cantonese.)

A: Siu je, neih giu mat yeh meng a? (What is your name, Miss?)

37

N o Sweii f Ciinfonese

D: Ng6h giu Debbie. Neih ne? (My nome is Debbie. How about you?)

A : Ng6h giu Anthony. Neih di Gw6ngdung wa h6u h6u wo. Ng6h h6 mh h6 yi cheng neih yam yeh a? (Anthony. You speak Cantonese very well! Con I buy you a drink?)

D : Gam ... h6u a. (Well .. . ok.)

A : Gam, Debbie. Neih yauh m6uh naohm pahng yauh a? (Well, Debbie. Do you hove a boyfriend?)

D: Yauh! (Yes, I do!) '

... ..._.....---'iA~:.:=---:z ...

38

CHINESE ROMANCE

Chinese women are generally more passive than western women in starting a relationship. Some are more "mysterious:" in other words, hide their feelings and are less straightforward than western women. And they tend to appreciate a patient and hon-est man. Therefore, if you try to buy her a drink in a bar or osk for a date and are turned down by her, it doesn't necessarily mean she wants to be rude or discouraging to you . Her behav-ior may be due to cultural difference instead.

Chapter 3

7 . Saying goodbye.

A: Do jeh neih cheng ng6h sihk faahn . (Thank you for inviting me for dinner.)

B: Mh sai. (It's my pleasure.)

A: Baai baai . (Goodbye .)

B: Baai baai . (Goodbye .)

C. One-liners Fill in the blanks with information about yourself.

1. Cheng mahn gwai sing a? (May I ask what your surname is?)

2 . Ng6h sing (surname). (My surname is .)

3 . Neih giu mat yeh meng a? (What is your name?)

4 . Ng6h giu (name). (My name is .)

5 . Neih jouh bin hohng a? (What do you do?)

6. Ng6h haih (profession). Ng6h jouh (business fielclj . (My profession is .)

39

No 5we

CJ,ap-ter 3

D. Grammatical Notes

1. Final particles: Cantonese has a number of particles that are used to express mood . They are placed at the end of a sentence. The use of a different particle at the end of sentence changes the meaning of the sentence, even though all of the other words may be the same. While English speakers use voice inflection to change the connotation of a sentence, Cantonese speakers use indi-vidual particles.

Here are some of the most common particles:

1. [l!2f "a" is used at the end of a yes-or-no question, and can also mean "?" at the end of other sentences. e.g. Neih slk mh slk Eric a? (Do you know Eric?)

2 . Dffl " Ia" is used when you invite or suggest people to do certain things. e.g . Ng6h deih heui sihk faahn Ia. (Let's go to have dinner.)

3. 11Ft "ne" means "how about" in English . e.g . Peter ne? (How about Peter?)

4 . Ill "Ia" implies changing the situation . e.g . Ng6h sihk j6 faahn Ia. (I have eaten.)

41

No Swe:;t C:;ntonese

2 . Yes/No questions and answers : "Mh" is a negating word and is always placed before the noun or adjective to make it negative.

e .g . Ngoh sik gong Gwongdung w6. (I know how to speak Cantonese.)

Ng6h mh sik gong Footman. (I don 't know how to speak French.)

One way to build a yes-or-no question is to use this simple formula :

(Addressee) +verb/adjective + mh+verb/adjectiye +a?

e .g. Neih sihk mh sihk aan a? (you) (eat) (not) (eat lunch) (Question word)? = Are you going to eat lunch?

g "Sihk aan" means eat lunch. Remember to only take the first syllable to make up a yes-or-no question, i.e. "sihk mh sihk aan" and NOT "sihk aan mh sihk aan ."

e .g . Seung mh seung yet chaih sihk aan a? (wont) (or not wont) (together) (eat lunch/ oction)(Question word)? = Want to eat lunch together?

Here are some other examples.

Neih sik mh sik wohng siu je a? (Do you know Miss Wong?)

Neih haih mh haih Ganahdaaih yahn a? (Are you from Canada?)

Neih sik mh sik gong Yahtm6n a? (Can you speak Japanese?)

42

Tip: To form a quest ion, only re-peat the first syllable of the verb/ adjective before "Mh", i.e !1Q! sik gong Mh sik gong , but rather sik Mh sik gong .

CAap-ter 3 c=.ree-tinc.s

To change a Cantonese statement involving the verb "to have" (Y6uh) or the phrase "There is/are," use this formula :

(Addressee/Pronoun) + yauh m6uhg + noun + a?

e .g. Neih y6uh m6uh sinsoang a? (you) (have) (nat have)(husband) (Question word)? = Do you have a husband?

Y6uh m6uh Gw6ngdOngw6 syu a? (have) (not have)(Cantonese book) (Question word)? = Do you have a Cantonese book?

Y6uh m6uh sip ying si a? (have) (not have)(photographer)(Question word)? = Are there any photographers?

Answering a Yes-or-no question

~ "Yciuh" mean~ '' to have" and "M6uh" means " not have; " never say " Mh ~auhl"

In English, we can simply say "yes" or "no" for an answer. In Cantonese, however, our answer to the question depends on the verb/adjective used in the question.

e .g. Neih haih rhh haih gei je a? (Are you the journalist?)

Yes = Haih (literally: Yes, I am) No = Mh haih (literally: No, I'm not)

Neih sik rhh sik g6ng Yingm6n a? (Can you speak English?)

Yes = Sik (literally: Yes, I can) No = Mh sik (literally: No, I can' t)

Neih yauh m6uh neuih pohng y6uh a? (Do you have a girlfriend?)

Yes: Y6uh (literally: Yes, I have) No: M6uh (literally: No, I don't have)

43

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CAap-ter 3

5. Personal Pronouns : Cantonese personal pronouns are as follows :

Ng6h lorme Neih you Keuih he, him, she, her or it

However, when the particle "deih" is added after a personal pronoun, it makes that pronoun plural :

Ng6h deih we or us Neih deih you (plural) Keuih deih they or them

6. Gwok: The word "gwok" means "country." e.g. Ylng gwok iQiil

Meih gwok ~-Hohng gwok filii

England U.S.A Korea

However, the names of some countries do not use "gwok" at all. e.g. Toih wean

Yi daaih leih Taiwan Italy

The exchange af business cards (Kaat pin) is normal practice for businessmen in Hang Kong . The correct way ta offer and re-ceive a card is with both hands, fallowed by a handshake. Also expect to pass and receive a credit card the same way, but don't expect a handshake far this . r

._------ 45

4 Physical Appearance A. Lingo

Gou iii tall Ng6i M short Feih II! fat Sou thin L6uh ~ old (age) Hauh saang ~g: young Leng (neui/j6i) IHtl/G) pretty/handsome Gwong tauh ~f.~ bald Tauh foot Hflfi hair Cheuhng tauh foot {Hflfi long hair Dyun tauh foot ~Hflfi short hair Lyun II curly Jihk fi straight Daai m wear Ng6ahn geng 691ft glasses Sou beard Wuh sou moustache Waahng ,. broad shoulders Ng6ahn 09 eye Beih nose T6uh n6ahm lttOi tummy Daaih jek ~- big build/well built Sai lap MIIJll small figure

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Chap-ter

No 5we;Jt C;Jntonese

6. Keuih (He/she)

7. Barry

8. Julia

9. Lisa

10. Andrew

11 . Tim

12 . Debra

13. Gary

14. Keuih (He I She)

50

(is) mh leng. (not pretty)

h6u waahng . (has very) (broad shoulders)

(has)

(has)

yauh/m6uh (has/ doesn't have)

yauh (has)

(has)

(has)

(is)

cheuhng tauh foot. (long hair)

jihk tauh foot. (straight hair)

[wuh] sou . ([a moustache] a beard)

daaih t6uh naahm. (a big tummy)

ngaahn daaih daaih . (big eyes)

beih gou gou. (a long nose)

sou di. (skinnier)

C!,apter if Physical Appearance

D. Grammatical Notes

1. "Name Adverb -Noun" statements: One way to describe a person is to use this simple formula:

Nome or pronoun +adverb + noun/adjective

e.g . Sara h6u lengneui. (Sara is very pretty)

2 . "Pronoun-verb-noun Rhrgse" statement : Another way to describe people is to use the verb "have" as follows:

Pronoun + verb + noun phrase

e.g Keuih y6uh daai ng6ahngeng . (He/She wears glasses)

3 . Yes-or-no Questions: This simple formula from the previous chapter con also be used to discuss people's appearance:

Addressee+ verb/adjective+ mh +verb/adjective+ a? /pronoun

e.g . A: Keuih leng mh leng a? (Is she pretty?)

B: Leng. (Yes) Mh leng . (No.)

e.g . A : Janet ge touhfaat cheuhng mh cheuhng a? (Is Janet's hair )Qng?)

B: Cheuhng. (Yes) Mh cheuhng. (No)

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CAapter '-1- Physical Appecrance

7 . "Go" : "Go" is a final particle that replaces "a " when it is not a simple question .

e .g . Susan dim yeung go?

{What does Susan look like?)

ANIMAL LIKENESS

Like English speakers, Cantonese speakers also use idioms to describe people by associating them with certain animals:

1. 2. 3 .

4. 5.

sheep (yeuhngl: monkey (m6h lou): wolf (lohng) : e .g sik lohng: pig (jyO): cow (ngauh) :

innocent person skinny person desperate person. rapist lot person hard working person.

53

5 Transportation: Going fo Work anti Going Ouf A. Lingo

Heui n to go Che m car/a form of

transportation Dik si ~ taxi Syuhn M ferry Basi ~ bus Deih tit ttl! II Mass Transit

Railway (MTR) Gou gong tit louh 11/lllllm Kowloon-Canton

Railway (KCR) F6 che *ii train Siu ba JJ\~ mini bus Dihn che ill tram Haahng louh film to walk Ja che :mm to drive Gei cheuhng faai sin 1111JM1UI Airport Express Laahm che m Peak tram Fei gei 11111 plane Choai dean che ~mm to ride a bike Yatgojung -Mil one hour Yih sahp fan jung =+Bil 20 minutes Bun go jung =Filii half an hour Jeui the most Fongbihn 7Jit convenient

55

IQ

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Cf.,ap-ter 5 Transporta-tion

Common directions (]JrQJ) fong Jyun j6 .tt Jyun yauh .E Jihk heui lin Tihng ~ Ni-douh !Ftf G6-douh PI Of Chihn mihn }lOilj Gwo j6 Yllltc

~

B. Chit Chat

1. A: Nicola jyuh hoi bin-douh a? Literally, "Nicola lives where?" (Where does Nicola live?)

B: Keuih jyuh hoi JOngwaahn. (She lives in Central.)

heung:

turn left turn right go straight stop here there before/in front of/ just ahead after/passing by

2 . A: Brian gei dim jong faan gOng a? Literally, "Brian what time ga fa work?" (What time will Brian go to work?)

B: Keuih boat dim faan gOng . (He goes to work at Sam.)

3 . A: Alan daap mat yeh che faangOng a? Literally, Alan fakes which car fo go fo work? (What transport does Alan take to go to work?)

B: Keuih ja che faan gOng. (He drives to work)

57

0

No 5wei/f Ci!nfonese

4 . A: Mark daap gei noih syuhn a? Literally, "Mark takes how long boat?"

58

(How long does Mark's ferry take to get here/there?)

B: Sei sahp fan jung . (40 minutes.)

FERRIES

There are two main types of ferries in Hong Kong. The first is the cross-harbor ferry, more famously known as the Star Ferry, which takes you from the Tsim Sha Tsui Pier to Central and Wanchai or from Central's Star Ferry Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui East. There is also a ferry line from Wanchai Ferry Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui East. The Star Ferry is one of the best and cheapest ways to appreciate the everchanging Hong Kong skyline from a farm of transport that seems timeless.

The second main type of ferry takes you to the Outlying Islands - Cheung Chou, Lamma, Lantau -,which have become popular residential areas for many adventurous expatriates looking for a cheaper place to live. The ferries depart mainly from the Outlying Islands Ferry Pier just a few minutes further out from Exchange Square (the main bus terminus) and Cen-tral/Hong Kong Station (MTR) . You can take a trip on one of these boats to see a completely different aspect of life away from the busy city.

Chapter 5 Traf15porta-tion

TRAMS Trams first started running in Hong Kong in 1904. Tromlines trace the route of Hong Kong's coastl ine from that period. Originally, the routes of the trams ron over several bridges, for instance at Conal Rood . Nowadays, all the canals and rivers hove been reclaimed.

Taking a tram ride around Hong Kong is one of the best things to do, as you con experience real local life for a few minutes, or for hours on end if you like, for the neat sum of only HK$2 per ride. The drawback is the summer heat, which you will hove to bear in the lock of air-conditioning . But the scenery and the uniqueness of the experience more than make up for this.

We call the tram "ding ding," which is the sound it makes. The best time of day for a tram ride is at night, when the wind con cool you off and the city lights con be enjoyed at a leisurely

5. A: Leuhng sfu je, neih dim faan gung go? (Ms. Leung , how do you get to work?)

B: Ng6h jyuh h6i Jim sa jeui . Ng6h h6i Taai Gu Sihng faangung . Daap deihtit h6u fong bihn, bun go jung jauh faan dou gung si. Neih ne? (I live in Tsim Sha Tsui. I work at Taikoo Shing . Tak ing the MTR is very convenient. It only takes me half an hour to get to work. How about you?)

A: Ng6h daap dihn che faan gung. Yauh Waan J6i ji Jung Waahn ll haih sahp fan jung, che fai h6u pehng go! (I take the tram to work. It only takes me 1 0 minutes to get from Wanchai to Central, and it's very cheap!)

59

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No Sweilf Ciinfonese

C. One-liners

1. Miuh gaai hoi bin douh a? (Where is Temple Street?)

2. Daap dik sf h6u di. (It's better to take a taxi.)

3. Yauh Miuh gaai ji Neuih Yen Gaai yiu gei yuhn a? (How far is it from Temple Street to Lady's market?)

4. Neuih yen gaai fuh gahn yauh m6uh book fo gung si a? (Are there any department stores near Lady's market?)

5. Sfu sam pah sou. (Beware of pickpockets.)

6. Mh goi, gei chin a? (Thank you . How much is it?)

7. Mh sci jaau. (Keep the change.)

8. Ng6h deih heui bin douh a? (Where shall we go?)

9. Heui jau ba Ia . (Lets go to the pub.)

10. Mh g6i daai Ng6h heui g6 douh Ia. (Take me that way. please.)

11 . Jyun j6 yihn hauh jihk heui. (Turn left and then go straight ahead.)

12. Gwo j6 Miuh gaai tihng . (Stop after Temple Street.)

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CJ.,ap-ter 5

13. Neuih yon giiai chlhn mihn tlhng . literally, "lady's Market in front of stop." (Stop in front of Lady's market.)

14. Dang wei chlhn mihn tlhng (Stop before the traffic light.)

15. Gaai hau tlhng . (Stop at the intersection .)

16. Chlhn mihn yauh lohk . literally, "/ have to get off iust ahead. " (Stop just ahead .)

MINIBUSES

Transporta-tion

There are twa types af minibuses in Hang Kong . Both are painted yellow and have about 16 seats . You may have to look carefully to spat the English language destination name. The most common type has a red roof and follows a fixed route, but stops wherever you want to get off. In order Ia let the driver know you need Ia get aff, just yell "(place] + y6uh lohk," e .g . "Gaai hau yauh lohk" (Stop at the intersection) or "Bean mah si n yauh lohk" (Stop at the pedestr ian crossing) . The driver will indicate he has heard by raising his hand . In order to get on a passing minibus, wave it down like you would a taxi.

The second type usually has a green roof. These follow a fixed route but stop only at designated minibus stops, just like a large bus.

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Chap-ter 5 Transporta-tion

Heui + verb + noun

e .g. John heui ch6ai doan che . (John is going biking.)

Heui +verb

e.g . Lahm t6ai heui Neuih yon goai. (Mrs. Lam is going to Lady's market.)

4 . Question words: Question words in English, such as "what," "which" and "how" correspond in Cantonese to Mot, Bin and Gei . They can be followed by classifiers to form the other question words, e.g . "who" and "when ," as well as some other ones that only exist in Cantonese.

a . Mot means "what," which is a question word usually followed by "yeh" and a noun . e.g . Neih giu mot yeh meng a?

(What is your name?)

b. Bin can be followed by various words. (i) Bin go means "which person/object," i.e.

"who" or "which ." e .g . A: Keu ih haih bin go a?

(Who is he/she?)

B: Keuih haih Tom. (He is Tom.)

However, the polite way to say which person is "bin wOi ."

e .g. A: Bin-w6i haih Chahn sfu je a? (Who is Miss Chan?)

B: Ni w6i haih Chahn sfu je. {This is Miss Chan)

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No 5we

Ct,apter 5 Transporta-tion

5 . Hoi : "Hoi" means "at" or "in" and marks location. We usually put it before the noun.

e.g. Ng6h ho i Gou Gong t it louh jouh yeh . (pronoun)(at) (place) (action) (I work at KCRC- Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation.)

e.g. Ng6h hoi ok kei . (I am at home.)

65

J,

6 Around the home A. Lingo

Laahp soap d6i tn:t~U~ rubbish bag Dihn sih m TV Hook teng ~ living room Foehn teng dining room Seuih f6ng ll!IH~ bedroom F6ng ~ room Syuf6ng ~ study Chung leuhng f6ng )lll>m~ bathroom Chi s6 IIJJifi toilet Deih louh tt!!JI basement Che fohng m~ garage Fa yun ltiJ garden Keh lou !11111 balcony S6 sih tt key Kap chohn gei Mtlllll vacuum cleaner Sai yi gei >S\:nlll washing machine Chohng lffi bed Furniture Cil'fWA) ga sB Cheung lim iiB/11 curtain Dihn w6 .65 telephone Muhn ~ door So fa lmfft sofa Chah gei ~fl coffee table Syo go .M bookcase Deih jin tt!!ft carpet Dang m lamp

67

No Swe;Jt C;Jntonese

~~i~&T~,:~====~ .. ~ ...... _.._

, 68

RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN HONG KONG

Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places in the world to live as the very limited amount of usable land tends to cause property to be very highly priced. To balance that, food, trans-port and clothing are relatively cheap if you know where to go. Indeed, a high lox threshold and a low tax rote ore among the most attractive reasons for overseas entrepreneurs to set up business in Hong Kong .

Because of the lock of space, most Hong Kongers live in high-rises, in apartments that range, from a western perspective, between very cramped, to compact, depending on the budget. More affluent people prefer living in duplex or triplex apartments or even in houses with gardens, but that is extremely costly here. Some people prefer to live in villages surrounded by the lush subtropical environment found on the Outlying Islands. Apart-ments and small houses there ore often on offer at on afford-able rote.

Popular residential areas for expatriates ore: Green rural environment Lontou Island (particularly Discovery Boy), Lemmo Island, Soi Kung, Cheung Chou Island.

High-rise apartments with well-equipped facilities and at a con-venient distance from Central and other commercial districts Happy Volley, Mid-levels, Causeway Boy, Wonchoi

Near the beach with luxurv facilities Repulse Boy, Shouson Hill, Stanley, Toi Tom

CJ,apter J, Around -t:Ae home

In the bathroom m>m foam Soi sou puhn )9[3!111 washbasin Sou gon 3!rn handkerchief Mouh gon :ern towel Ngah gou ~ toothpaste Ngah choot ~HIJ toothbrush Yuhk gong ~ffil both So Jmf comb Fu trousers Deih ho ttl!""F floor Geng mirror Class ifiers used arou nd the home:

Yot bo je on umbrella Yot boou yin a packet of

cigarettes Yot deui maht a pair of socks Yot deui haoih a pair of shoes Yot jek CD a CD Yot bun syu a book Yot joan dong a lamp Yot go ngohn boau a purse Yot go yin fui gong an ashtray Yot go chah wu a teapot

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5 .

CJ.,apter f, Around t:Ae Aome

WASHING ON THE STREET

Although drying machines are very popular in western countries, Hong Kong people normally put the washing on the line. Most apartments come with a clothes-drying window or corner out of which you can hang clothes on long rods or lines. On a dry day, if you look up from any street, expect to see a multitude of bright clothes colouring the skyline. If it's windy, watch outl

For those with a fear of leaning out of the window so floors above the street, washing and dry cleaning places can be found all over Hong Kong.

A: Ng6h deui haoih hoi bin douh a? (Where ore my shoes?)

B: Hoi yuhk gwong gook leih . (Beside the both.)

71

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CAapterb Around -tJ.,e J.,of'VIe

D. Grammatical Notes

1 . Prepositions of place : In English, we say, "The toothbrush is on the table." In Cantonese, we say, "The toothbrush is table on." That is, we always put the preposition of place (e.g. "on") after the noun .

e.g. Ngoh ch6at h6i bin douh a? (Where is the toothbrush?)

Ngoh ch6at h6i chOng leuhng f6ng neuih mihn . (The toothbrush)(is)(bathroom) (inside) The toothbrush is in the bathroom.

The formula :

Thing (noun) + verb + place + preposition of place

e .g X h6i t6i seuhng mihn

(table)

seuih f6ng (bedroom)

chohng tuhng syu g6 (bed and bookcase)

(on) hah mihn (under) chihn mihn (in front of) hauh mihn (behind) gaak leih (beside) neuih mihn (inside) jung goon (between/in the middle of)

73

7 Finding your way A. Lingo

Dire!:;tions : 0 Gaak leih HliE beside J6 mihn O:ifii left Yauh mihn Eifii right Chihn mihn ~ifii in front of Deui mihn f:tifii across the road Hauh mihn Uiifii behind/in the back Jung goan rpfm middle Jyun gok -~ corner Goai h6u mo end of the street Dong m east Naahm ~ south Sai il!i west Bak jt north ~(lfi) P6u: Mahngeuih p6u 5

No Swe

Chapter 7 r::indin4 your way

ShoJ;!S (continued): Yauh guk i8Fcj post office Yeuhk fohng -~ pharmacist Hei yun llilfl cinema Chaan teng restaurant Ngahn hohng iefi bank Kahm hong llfi piano store Touh jyu jaahm m>tnc lottery station Bo si jaahm e:!l'IC bus station Book fo gOng si siliflQl department store JyO yuhk p6u ~~~- butcher

In Hong Kong, shops selling one particular product tend to be located along the some street or area :

1 . Sheung Won I Des Voeux Rood West Bird's nest, shark's fin, dried seafood, luxury beauty and health products, antiques (at the "Cot Street Bazaar") 2. Mongkok ("authentically Hong Kong district

where you con get the best value for your dollar) COs, records, VCDs, DVDs, electronic goods, casual clothes 3 . Flower market at Prince Edward A wide variety of exotic flowers 4 . Pacific Place, Landmark Luxury items and big clothing labels 5 . Tsim Sho Tsui, Stanley Market, Temple Street ,

Lady ' s market Souvenirs and cheap casual clothes.

6 . Sham Shui Po , Won Choi Computer games and software 7 . Happy Volley Designer furniture, custom-made shoes 8. Queen ' s Rood Eost/Wonchoi Furniture and curtains 9 . Tsim Sho Tsui East Furs from Russia and Central Asia, traditional Indian and Poki-

0

No Swe;Jt C;Jntonese

0 B. Chit Chat 1. A: Ngoh seung moaih go scam mahn jih . Heui bin

douh a? (I want to buy a sandwich . Where should I go?)

B: Mihn beau pou hoi deui mihn. (A bakery is across the road .)

2 . A: Bin douh youh jyO yuhk maaih a? (where) (have)(pork) (to seii)(Question word)? (Where can I buy pork?)

II B: Hoi j6 mihn.

(On the left.)

3 . A: Mh goi UA hei yun hoi bin douh a? (Excuse me. Can you please tell me where the UA cinema is?)

B: UA hei yun hoi yauh guk hauh mihn . (The UA cinema is behind the post office.)

4 . A: Mh goi Wuih Fung ngahn hohng hoi bin douh a? (Can you please tell me where the HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is)?

B: Hoi go fe sat tuhng syo bou taan jung goon . (The HSBC is located between the coffee shop and newsstand .)

5 . A: Mh goi/Cheng mahn, Ch in Seui Waan hoi bin douh a?

,, (Excuse me, where is Repulse Bay?) I

B: Ch in Seui Wean hoi naahm mihn.

il (Repulse Bay is on the southern side of the island.)

78

Ct,apter 7 r::indirv:. your way

6 . A: Daaih Yuh Soan hoi bindouh a? (Where is Lantau Island?)

B: Daaih Yuh Soan hoi Heung Gong D6u sai mihn . (Lantau Island is located to the west of Hong Kong Island .)

C. One-liners

1. Ng6h deih heui bin douh a? (Where should we go?)

~TIP: A full list of use-.., ful destinations and districts around Hong Kong con be found in Appendix II

"" ~

2. Syo bou taan hoi ga fe sat hauh mihn . {The newsstand is behind the coffee shop.)

3. Tauh jyu jaahm hoi j6 mihn . (The lottery station is on the left.)

4. Yeuhk fohng hoi gaai hou . {The pharmacist is at the end of the street.)

5. Ba si jaahm hoi chihn mihn. (The bus stop is over there/up ahead.)

6. Yuhn rhh yuhn a? {Is it far?)

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CAapter 7 r::indiru::, your way

2 . Asking about where to shop for something specific : To ask where you can do something like buy cheap clothes or find COs, you have to use a specific sentence structure.

The formula :

Question word + "yauh" + item + verb + "a"?

e.g. Bin douh y6uh jyu yuhk maaih a? (where)(have) (pork) (to sell)(final particle)? (Where can I buy pork?)

81

8 Bargaining: At the Market and Shopping

A. Lingo

Specifiers:

Nidi liFt~ these Go di Dim~ those Ni jek liFt II this kind Go jek 01111 that kind

Fruits (g:,m) saanggw6: Sih do be lei ~Ill~ strawberry Soi gwo ilia watermelon Pihng gwo am apple Cheong m orange Muhk gwo mm papaya Maht gwo m honeydew melon laih ji ~~ lychee Boloh Siii pineapple lihng mung ~~~~ lemon Taih ji t!::f grapes

83

84

No SweliE onion Cheng jlu ~ll bell pepper Faan ke iilii tomato Dung gO ~iii mushroom

Meat and seafood ( ~lli~)ffii) yuhk neuih kap ~

Ngauh yuhk q:~ beef Jyo yuhk ~~~ pork Yeuhng yuhk $~ lamb Gai yuhk -~ chicken Yu ~ fish Ha Ji shrimp daaijf ffi~ scallop beau yuh ~ abalone haai crab hfn II clam luhng ha Glli lobster hoi sam >m# sea cucumber yauh yu ill~ squid mahk yuh -~ cuttlefish yuh chi ~~ shark's fin

CJ.,apter8 /3arc,aini~ and sf.,oppi~

Electronics ( \fl~jl!fia) dibn ji cb6an bo n- 0 Sou mob seung gei Mli!UOMI digital camera Sou mob sibp lubk MlltiB (digital) video gei Ill camera Sou taib dibn loub ~HUll IIi laptop dibn l6ub IIIII computer Sou taib dibn w6 ~fl-~ mobile phone Go yabn dibn ji sou MAll~ PDA jeung ~-Yam beung i. bi-fi system Kwong yam bei s~ speakers

Cosmetics (ftlfftfia) fa jong ba n-Seubn gou m lipstick Ng6abn jit moub IISIII~JJI mascara yibk Yin ji llilti blush Goo fan ~IB powder Ngaabn sin bat IISIHI eyeliner Sci mibn gou wrm face wash Song fo seui :;1(.7..1< toner Yeubn mibn seung jlljjMiil moisturizer

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No 5we;Jt C;Jntonese

" Clothin g cH!il8) fuhk jon g: Seut scam 1ID11~ shirt Seuhng scam _t1~ blouse T-Seut T1Jfil T-shirt Lehng toai 9Qilt\ tie Bun jiht kwahn =t=tim skirt Kwahn m dress Fu trousers Ngauh j6i fu !+g. jeans Dyun fu ~- shorts Hung waih !Jillll bra Noih fu ~- panties Mo yin tung H~l&l boxer shorts Peih haaih ~ti leather shoes Gou joang haaih m;.:Wiil! high-heels Leuhng haaih >~ti slip-ons/summer

shoes To hoai fffiti flip-flops

Classifiers:

Bohng ij pound Do n dozen Gihn f~ a shirt/blouse/T-

shirt Tluh ~ a tie/skirt/dress/

trousers/jeans/ shorts/panties

Go 11 a bra Deui ~ pair

86

CAap-ter 8 e.ar4ainirv:. and shoppirv:,

Relevant adjectives : Tihm !t sweet Dojap ~>t juicy H6u sihk t11tl delicious Leng II good quality San sin iii fresh Gwai expensive Pehng ~ cheap J,. ,..~~:.V::t-allllliii-_._~~~ ......

BEST BARGAINS IN HONG KONG

In many snaps, assistants are willing Ia offer discounts if you ask, especially if you are buying several items at once. The exceptions are large chain stores and department stores, where the prices are fixed unless you are the holder of a privilege card .

The best bargains (and places to practice bargaining in Cantonese!) can be found at:

Temple Street - T-shirts, jeans, jade, COs, clothes, knickknacks or even antiques at a very good price.

Lady's Market - A good range of products for women such as clothes, bags, cosmetics, accessories, all at competitive prices. Imitation goods are sold here.

Stanley Market Souvenirs, shirts, arts and crafts, jewelery, paintings, carpets and clothes.

Causeway Bay - Side streets are lined with small boutiques selling unique fashions. The "Island Beverley" opposite the SOGO department store houses hundreds of boutiques on its 5 floors.

Wanchai 298 Hennessy Road A mega complex of computer retail outlets, this is THE place to get hardware and software deals .

If you are purchasing cameras or video equipment, it is recom-mended that you only go to shops that display the price tags in their windows. ._ ..... _____ ,.._.~~

87

"

No Sweilt Ciintonese

B. Chit Chat

1 . Robby is shopping at the fruit stall R: Robby H: Hawker (seller)

R: Ni di chaang dim maaih a? (What's the price of those oranges?)

H: Sahp man ngh go. {Ten dollars for five .)

R: Go di ne? Go di dim maaih a? (How about those? How much are those?)

H: Go di sohp man saom go, youh tihm youh do jap. (Those ore ten dollars for three. They ore sweet and juicy)

R: Hoi bin douh laih go? (Where ore they from?)

H: Go di hoi Meihgwok laih go. {Those ore from America .)

R: Neih tuhng ngoh goon di leng ge Ia . (Could you pick the good ones for me please?)

H: Mouh mahn taih . Neih maoih gei do a? (No problem. How many ore you buying?)

R: Leuhng da , rhh goi. Pehng di dak rhh dak a? {Two dozen, please. Con you make it cheaper?)

H: Hou Ia , ngoh goi neih chat sohp man Ia . {OK, I' ll make it $70.)

R: Gam, hou Ia . Ni douh chat sohp man . (Well, OK then, here's $70.)

88

Cl-.ap-ter8

H: Do jeh. (Thank you .)

R: H6u saang yi. (Good business to you .)

2 . Shopping at Sa Sa

l Sa Sa is a famous cosmetic outlet in Hong Kong . There you can f ~ get famous labels at reasonable prices . Stores are located

..... t.hrlolulghlolultlthlelr.egilonl.lllllllllllllllllllllllllll~! A: Shopping Assistant S: Sara

A: Neih seung m6aih mat yeh a? (What would you like to buy?)

S: Ng6h seung m6oih fa jong bon . (I want to buy cosmetics .)

A: F6n dihng seuhn gou a? (Powder or lipstick?)

S: Seuhn gou mh goi. (lipstick, please.)

A: Mat yeh sik a? (What colour would you like?)

S: Huhng sik . Gei chin a? (Red. How much is it?)

A: Gong baih yet back ngh sahp man . (HK $150.)

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No 5we

CJ.,ap-ter 8

S: Youh, chimg mohn yiu mot yeh sik a? (Yes, we do, what colour do you like?)

R: Youh m6uh naohm sik a? (Do you hove a blue one?)

S: Youh, neih dong dong Ia . (Yes, please wait a moment.)

R: Nigo gei leng. Gei do chin a? (This is quite pretty. How much is it?)

S: Yat book man. {$100.)

R: Youh m6uh jit a? (Do you hove a discount?)

S: Youh gou jit. Gou sohp man h6u rna? (There's a discount of 10 %. Is $90 OK?)

R: Tooi gwoi Ia . Boot jit Ia. (That's still too expensive. Make it 20% off.)

S: Boot ngh jit. H6u rhh h6u a? (15% off, toke it or leave it.)

R: H6u . Ni douh yot book man . (OK. Here's $1 00.)

S: Do jeh, joou sohp ngh man bei neih. {Thank you. Here's $15 in change bock.)

R: Mh goi. {Thank you.)

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0 No Sweilf Cilnfonese

C. One-liners

1. Pehng di dak mh dak a? (Con you make it cheaper, please?)

2. Y6uh m6uh jit a? (Do you hove discount?)

3. Mh h6u ak ng6h . Ng6h slk gong Gw6ngdung w6. (Don't fool me. I con speak Cantonese.)

4. Boot jit Ia. (20% off please.)

English . When you say "Boot jit," you mean that you want to pay BO% of the whole price, in other words, get a 20% discount. This is the opposite of what you say in English, so be careful!

... ~-----~- 5. Tooi gwoi Ia, pehng dl dak rhh dak a?

{That's too expensive, con you make it cheaper?)

6. Mh h6u ak ng6h. (Don't fool me.)

92

CJ..,apter8 /3ar

t ) .., ~ C. 1 S 1 to tl j

9 Time, Date, and Day of the Week

A. Lingo

~ (llij!m) sib gaan

Dim !ii o'clock Fan jung flil minutes Bun $ half-hour Gwat ~ quarter-hour Seuhng jau 1::. morning Hah jau ~ afternoon JOngngh qJ4= noon Lihng sahn >ill midnight Yeh moahn ~~ evening Bun yeh $~ middle of the night Yih ga II~ now

How to tell the time In Cantonese, there are a number of ways in which to say what time it is. 1. General 1 :04 Yet dim lihng sei fan

Literally: One o 'clock (zero) four minutes.

2. Sharp 1 :00 literally: One o 'clock.

3. Half-past 1 :30 literally: One o 'clock half.

Yet dim

Yet dim bun

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No 5weilf Cilnfonese

4. To tell the time when the number of minutes post the hour is a multiple of five (i.e. the minute hand points to a number from 1 to 11 ), there is a convenient shortcut:

a) Leuhng dim yat 2 :05 or Leuhng dim lihng ngh fan Literally: Two o 'clock one (since the minute hand is pointing at "ron the clock face)

b) Leuhng dim sa om 2 :15 or Leuhng dim sahp ngh fan Literally: Two o 'clock three (since the minute hand is pointing at "3 " on the clock face)

c) Scam dim g6u 3 :45 or Scam dim sei sohp ngh fan

literally: Three o 'clock nine (since the minute hand is point ing at "9" on the clock face)

*Please note that the number "Leuhng" is used to count "dim" (o'clock), but not for "Fan" (minutes) when reading a clock.

96

CJ..,ap-ter 9 1ime, Da-te and Day ol -the Week

Weekdays (~ml) sing keih weekday sing keih English

yat ~ml- Monday 2 yih ~ml= Tuesday 3 sa am ~m~= Wednesday 4 sei ~mllm Thursday 5 ngh ~min Friday 6 luhk ~mit\ Saturday 7 yaht ~miB* Sunday

Yaht means "sun" in English

Day

Night

Week

Before la s t

Last

Chihn yaht Kohm yaht ft!JB 188 Chihn Kahm moahn moahn ft!J. Chihn go Seuhng go sing keih sing keih I fl. J::M~ ml

month Chihn go Seuhng go yuht yuht ft!J11F.I J::11F.I

Year Chihn nfn Seuhng nin ft!J~ J::~

This Next After Next

~Baht ligsaht Hauh yaht fiB Gam nng Hauh moahn maahn moahn

~- Gam go Hah go sing keih sing keih

;fill jbi11~ Gam go Hoh go yuht yuht

~ fl F.l ""F 11 F.l Gam nin Hoh nin Houh nin

~~ ""F~ -~ 97

0

0 No Swe

Chapter 9 Time, Da-te and Daj ol -the Week

B. Chit Chat

1 . What ' s on TV? A: Gam m6ahn g6u dim bun y6uh mat yeh jit muhk t6i a?

(Which programme is on at 9:30 tonight?)

B: Gam m6ahn g6u dim bun y6uh hei t6i . {There is a movie on tonight at 9 :30.)

2. Free time A : Neih ylh go jouh g6n mat yeh a?

(What are you doing right now?)

B: Ng6h ylh go hoi Seuhng Hoi Taan m6aih g6n yeh . {I am shopping at Shanghai Tang at the moment.)

A : Gam, neih gei slh dak haahn a? (Well, when are you going to have free time?)

B: Ng6h tlng yaht dak haahn . {Tomorrow I'm free.)

Shanghai Tang is a boutique famous for selling traditiona l Chi-nese o utfits for both riten and worhen. The owner David Tan is a we ll-known Hong Kong socia lite and entrepreneur. His staff wi ll measure you for a c ustorit suit or cheon&saril, but ritake sure that your pockets are deep enough. They a lso have a less costly ready to wear se lection and a lso Chinese riteriwrabilia. You wi ll find his shops at the Pedder buildin g in Centra l and in the departure a rea of Chek Lap Kok Airport.

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CJ.,ap-ter 9 Time, Da-te and Day o.t t:J.,e Week

5 . The date A : Neih gei sih leih Heung Gong ga?

(When did you come to Hong Kong?)

B: Ng6h yet g6u luhk boat nihn, yih yuht sahp houh leih Heung Gong ge. (I came to HK on the 1Oth of February 1968.)

A: 56 yi neih di Gw6ngdung w6 gong dak gam h6u. (That's why you speak such good Cantonese!)

C. One-liners

1. Heung Gong yih go gei dim a? (What time is it in Hong Kong at the moment?)

2 . Ou Hook Laahn gei dim a? (What time is it in Auckland?)

3. Ng6h deih wuih chih bun go jung . (We will be delayed by half an hour.)

4 . Heung Gong yih go haih yeh m6ahn g6u dim. (Hong Kong time is now 9 :00 at night.)

5. Fei gei gei sih douh Meihgwok a? (When will the flight arrive in the United States?)

6. Yiu leuhng go jung scam fan jung. (It takes 2 hours and 3 minutes.)

7. Ou Hook Laahn bei Heung Gong faai sei go jung. (Auckland is four hours ahead of Hong Kong .)

8. Ng6h sing keih yih scam dim hoi wui. (I have a meeting on Tuesday at 3pm.)

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No Swe

Ct,ap-ter 9 Ttme, Da-te and Day o.P -tAe Week

c) What is happening at x o'clock?

Time of Day + Time + Verb + Question word + Noun + verb + particle

e.g. Gam maahn gau dim yauh mat yehjit muhk tai a? (Tonight)(9 o 'clock)(have)(what)(programme)(to watch)(parficle}

Which programs are on TV at nine o'clock tonight?

d) Time difference

Place A + bei + Place B + Faai + Time element

e.g. Ou Hook laahn bei Heung Gong faai sei go jung. (Auck/and)(than} (Hong Kong} (faster} (4 hours} Auckland is ahead of Hong Kong by four hours.

e) Dates and Time

Year + Month + Date (+ Time of Day + Time)

e.g. Yet gau gau chat nihn luhk yuht scam sahp houh hah jau yet dim. (1997)(June)(30th} (middle of the night} (lo 'clock} At 1 p.m . on the 30th June, 1997 .

103

10 Going on a business trip Port 1: Booking o flight and checking in A.l Lingo

Gwok taai hohng IJ~tft~ Cathay Pacific hung Airways Seung mouh w6i im~fll business class Dehng [J book/reserve Gei piu Ill !I plane ticket Yuht F.J month Houh li! number Boon gei 11!111 flight P6 tung w6i Simfll economy class Dim !ii how about Gam oa well Jeui II the most Faai *~ fast W6i m seat Dong gei Blll check in S6ujuhk . procedure Geidfm ~IS what time Daaih yeuk 1'\~~ about/approxi-

/ mately Chlh ll delayed Gei noih ~~ how long (how

much time) Jaahp h6u r..L'JD gate Ding Ging mffi Tokyo Kok yihng lil~ reconfirm

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C Aapte r /0 t:=,oin4 on a Business -trip

B. 1 Chit Chat

Christina is at the airport counter . C : Christina S: Customer Service

1 . C: Neih h6u, haih mh haih Gwok Taai hohng hung a? (Hello, is th is Cathay Pacific Airways?)

S: Haih. Neih di Gw6ngdung wa h6u h6u wo. (Yes. Your Cantonese is very good .)

C: Do jeh. (Thank you .)

S: Ng6h yauh mat yeh h6 yi bong neih a ? (How may I help you?)

C: Ng6h seung dehng gei piu . (I 'd like to book a ticket.)

S: Cheng dang dang .... Neih seung heui bin douh a? (Please wait a moment .... Where would you like to go?)

C: Ng6h seung dehng yet jeung gau yuht sahp houh heui Dung Ging ge gei piu . (I 'd like to reserve a~ for Tokyo on Septem-ber 1Oth.)

S: Gei dim a? 1 (What time?)

C: Jiu j6u gau dim bun. (9:30am .)

S: Cheng dang dang .... (Please wait a moment . ... )

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Chap-ter 10 C:.oin"" on a f!.usiness -trip

4 . C: Gwok Taoi Hohng Hong ge "counter" hoi bin douh a? (Where is the Cathay Pacific Airways counter?)

S: Hoi chihn mihn . (Straight ahead.)

5 . C: Daaih yeuk chih gei noih a? (How long will it be delayed?)

S: Daaih yeuk Leuhng go jOng. (Around 2 hours.)

6 . C: Gei dim dou DOng Ging a? (What time will we arrive in Tokyo?)

S: Gou dim. (9 o'clock.)

C.l One-liners

1. Mh goi, ng6h seung yiu neih ge gei piu tuhng wuh jiu . (May I have your ticket and passport please?)

2 . Hoi ni douh . (Here you are .) I

3. Mh goi jeung neih di hahng leih boai hoi seuhng mihn . (Please put your baggage .1m here.)

4 . Cheng mahn yiu kap yin keui dihng fei kap yin keui a? (Would you prefer smoking or non-smoking?)

5. Fei kap yin keui, mh goi. (Non-smoking area, please.)

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No 5weqt Cqntonese

6. Cheung hau wei dihng jung goon WOI a? (Window seat or middle seat?)

7. Ni go hoih neih ge dong gei jing, gei piu tuhng hahng leih paoi . (Here's the boarding pass, your ticket and your baggage claim togs .)

8. Fei gei jun sih rna? {Is the flight on time?)

9. Juk neih neui touh yuh fooi. (Enjoy your journey.)

= HONG KONG, WORLD CITY

The people of Hong Kong hove relatives living all over the world . Huge numbers of Chinese fled the Mainland during the lost century. They continued this migration on from Hong Kong, setting up Iorge enclaves in many of the world 's major cities . Partly because of the family connection and portly because it's fun , Hong Kong people therefore like to travel widely. You may find your Cantonese useful in places as for aport as New York, London and Sydney, so keep on practicing!

A note on tickets : The word dehng means "to reserve ." The words for "booking tickets" ore dehng piu, which con be applied to booking train and air tickets. A monthly ticket is the yuht piu. Fei is another word for tickets; it is used for ferry tickets (syuhn fei) and movie tickets (hei fei) .

'-' ---r,..~-.. .-.~ 110

Chapter/0 C:.oin.:. on a Business -trip

Part 2: After the Trip and Checking Out at the Hotel A.2 Lingo

Gei dim HID what time Seung 1m want nng jiu lliJ tomorrow morning Dehng ~ reserve Dik si ~ taxi Che jaahm mnc station Syut gwaih ~ refrigerator Leuih mihn ililii inside Gun Ill can (classifier of soft

drinks) Jyuh fl live M6ahn ~ night H6u chi tt11eA seems like Gai cho sou MBE calculate wrongly T6i t6i ~~ have a look Nidouh Dftli here G6 douh llflli there F6ng fj room W6n m look for Bun move Dik si jaahm ~tiD taxi stand Che m transportation Gihn f~ piece (classifier for

luggage) Sou teui che ~mm baggage carts

111

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No Swe;;t C;;ntonese

B.2 Chit Chat

Ann is checking out of her hotel. A: Ann S: staff

1. A: Mh goi, ngoh seung tlng jlu w dik si, dak mh dak a? (I'd like to reserve a taxi for tomorrow morning . Is that OK?)

S: Dak. (OK.)

2 . A: Heui gei tit jaahm yiu gei chin a? (How much is the fare to the airport station?)

S: Daaih yeuk chat sahp man. (Around $70.)

3 . A: Ng6h yam j6 syut gwaih leuih mihn yat gun be i.Q.\!, haih mh haih a? (I drank a (can of) beer from the refrigerator, didn 't I?)

S: Haih a. (Yes.)

4 . A: H6u chi gai cho sou wo. (There seems to be a mistake in the bill.)

S: Dang ng6h tai tai . (Let me have a look.)

5 . A: Ng6h chlm kaat dak mh dak a? (Is it OK if I pay by credit card?)

S: Dak. (OK.)

112

CJ.,ap-ter/0 C:.oin4 on a Business -trip

C. 2 One-l iners

1. Ng6h y6uh scam gihn hahng leih. {I have 3 pieces of baggage.)

2 . Mh goi bun di hahng leih heui dik si jaahm. (Please take the baggage to the taxi stand .)

3 . Mh goi, ngoh seung wan yahn bun hahng leih. (Excuse me, I' m looking for a person to move my baggage.)

4. Cheng dang dang . (Please wait a moment.)

5 . Gei tit jaahm hoi bin douh a? (Where is Airport Station?)

CHEK LAP KOK

Hong Kong International Airport, which opened in July 1998, was named World ' s Best Airport for the year 2002. It is located on Chek Lap Kok, an island off the north coast of Lantau. Little \ is left of the original island, as most of it was bulldozed into the sea; like many other parts of modern Hong Kong, it is built on reclaimed land. Chek Lap Kok Airport is one of the world's bus-iest international airports, and is an excellent gateway to Hong Kong. It does not, however, offer passengers and bystanders the thrill of the old approach to its predecessor, Kai Tak airport ( 1925-1998). At ground level, shoppers in Sham Shui Po, would hear a roar and look up to see the sky filled by a Boeing 747. From inside the aircraft it would seem to passengers that they were flying between the high rise buildings. Finally the aircraft rilade a sharp turn just before touching down on a narrow strip of land that projected out into the harbour.

The Airport Express carries passengers from the Airport to Hong Kong Station (Central) in just 23 minutes. For the jour-ney out of Hong Kong, the in town check-in counter service at Hong Kong Station enables you to drop your luggage off in the center of the city and continue efficiently on to the airport with your hands free .

113

11 First visit to Hong Kong A. LinQ.Q

Mh goi oa~ Excuse me, please 0 Bong help Jung woahn I:PJI Central Jim sa jeui ~j!Jllfi Tsim Sha Tsui J6u dim ~h hotel Heui 5 go Bun deih ztitt!! local Cheuhng touh 5~ IDO Hoi tlf ot/in J6 bin ttil left side Yauh bin Ell right side Ni bin 11/tll this way Go bin ll@ljl that way Bin douh jl~ where Jung goon w6i r:prmm middle seat Seuhng mihn ...tiii upstairs Hah mihn "Fiii downstairs Yet chi -m one time Deih touh ttl.llll map Yauh guk tfifcj post office Suhng gwong ~~ SOGO (a Japa-

nese Department store)

Oik sf ~ taxi Be sf e:! bus

115

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'0 I

No Swe;;t C;;ntonese

Maaih ll sell Dihn w6 -~ telephone Seung yiu Jm~ want to have B6ai mt put Dang gei jing HIIIM boarding pass Man mx dollar Dang gei Hill check-in Dang gei muhn HIIIM boarding gate Ng6u

"' vomit

Bo jf .55 newspaper Gei cheuhng seui llltiim airport tax

WHAT IS SOGO?

There ore several Iorge Japanese deportment stores in Hong Kong. Among them, SOGO is the biggest and the most well known. Its entrance is also a meeting point for locals, due to its convenient location just outside the Causeway Boy MTR station.

Many Hong Kong people, especially those of the younger generations, like Japanese fashions, movies, music and food. That's one of the reasons why there ore so many Japanese res-taurants and stores in Hong Kong. They ore concentrated in Causeway Boy and also Toikoo Shing because many Japanese expatriates live nearby on Broemor Hill, a residential area just above North Point.

"" --.. ~r~~~~~~~-~.a 116

CAapt-er II t::irs-t visi-t -to -1-10114 ko114

You may find this Cantonese useful in places like hotels in Hong Kong even if the hotel staff can speak English. However, they really appreciate your efforts! I So keep on practicing and build up a friendly relationship with the locals. To name a few,

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong Conrad Hotel Disney's Hollywood Hotel Emperor (Happy Valley) Hotel Excelsior Hotel Peninsula Hotel Grand Hyatt Hotel

The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Holiday Inn Golden Mile

Heung Gong Sei Gwai J6u Dim

Gong Laih J6u Dim Dihk Sih Neih hou loih wu J6u Dim Ylng Wohng jeun ging J6u Dim

Ylh Dung J6u Dim Bun Dou J6u Dim Gwen Yuht Heung Gong J6u Dim Jih Deih Mahn Wah Dung Fong J6u Dim Gam Wihk Go Yaht J6u Dim

117

No Swe;;t C;;ntonese

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel Hotel Nikko Hong Kong Island Shangri-La Hong Kong JW Marriott Hotel Langham Hotel Hong Kong Le Meridien Cyberport

Marco Polo HK Marco Polo Prince

Miramar Hotel New World Renais-sance Hotel Panda Hotel Park Lane Hong Kong Regal Airport Hotel

YMCA International House

118

Heung Gong Dihk Sih Neih J6u Dim Wohng Gam Hoi Ngohn J6u Dim Yaht Hohng Jau Dim

Gong Dou Heung Gaak Leih Laai Maahn Houh J6u Dim Lohng Tihng J6u Dim

Sou M6h Gong Ngaaih Meih J6u Dim M6h Ho Buht Loh J6u Dim M6h Ho Buht Loh Taai Jf J6u Dim Meih Laih Wah J6u Dim San Sai Gaai Maahn Leih J6u Dim Yuht Loih J6u Dim Pak Lihng J6u Dim Fu Houh Gei Cheuhng J6u Dim Ching Nihn Wui Gwok Jai Ban Gun

Chapter!/ 0rs-t visi-t -to -l-Ion

No Swe;Jf C

Chapter //

Tokyo Disneyland Resort (Japan) Tomorrowland Walt Disney World

Winne the pooh

J:irst: visit: t:o -1-/ontE> konq

Yaht Bun Dung Ging Dihk Sih Neih Lohk Yuhn mihng yaht sai gaai Wah Dahk Dihk Sih Neih sai gaai siu huhng woih neih

121

N o Swe

CAapter /1 t::irs-t visi-t -to -Hon,;. kon,;.

Jay is in Hong Kong visiting Ann . J: Jay A : Ann

4 . J: Heung Gong yauh mot yeh tai a? (What's there to see in Hong Kong?)

A: Heui Son Deng Ia. Fung ging hou leng. (Go to the Peak. The scenery is very beautiful.)

5. J: Heui bin douh moaih yeh jeui hou a? (Where's the best shopping?)

A : Jim So Jeui jeui hou . (Tsim Sha Tsui is the best.)

6 . J: Bin douh youh hoi toan a? (Where is the beach?)

A: Naahm Aa Dou tuhng Yuh Ging Wean. (Lemma Island and Discovery Bay.)

7 . J: Cheng mahn Laahn Gwai Fong hoi bin douh a? (May I ask where Lon Kwai Fong is?)

A : Laahn Gwai Fong hoi Jung Waahn. (Lon Kwai Fong is in Central.)

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CAapter/1 t:irst visi-t -to -Hont;, kont;,

Valley is more historic and accessible) is highly recommended. Races are held Wednesday evenings (Happy Valley) or Sat-urday afternoons (Shatin) between September and mid-June. Racing is one of the ritost popular fornis of sport entertain -ment in Hong Kong and one of the few legal forms of gambling.

8. Lantau Island: is home to the giant Buddha, a huge bronze statue sitting up the hill from the Po Lin monastery. Plans are in place to bui ld an aer ia l tramway from Tung Chun g.

9. Lariuila Is land: enjoy a boat ride from the Pier in Ce ntra l to Lamma Island and round off with dinner at one of the sea-food restaurants by the seaside. You can pick what you want to eat direct ly from the fish tank s s tanding outside the restaurants .

I 0. Disney Theme Park: on Lantau Island between the Airport and the Tsing rna bridge. Until it opens in 2005/6 it will only be of interest to civil engineers. After that it wi ll become a "must do" item for the kids. You have been warned!

Official re so urces for visitors

The Hong Kong Touri st Board provides official quality services for tourist s and the genera l public. Flyers, brochures and city maps can be found in their offices by the Star Ferry Piers in Cen-tral and Tsim Sha Tsui and, of course, at the airport. As you walk aro und Hong Kong, you'll see its emblem (the red junk wi th white background) in so me shops' windows. This means that the shops have been approved by the Tourist Board and their quality is assured.

125

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CJ.,apter/1 r::trs-t visi-t -to -Horv:. korv:.

D. Grammatical Notes

1. Asking for items or for help: "Mh goi" or "Cheng mahn" are common phrases used when asking for an object or for help.

a) Mh goi + verb + noun + "a" + ? e .g. Mh go1, y6uh m6uh dang gei jing a?

(Piease)(have)(have naf}(baarding pass)(Quesfion word)? May I have your boarding pass, please?

e.g . Mh goi, bong ng6h jiht dik sf a? (Please) (help me) (catch) (taxi) (final particle) Could you please help me catch a taxi?

b) The word "Mh goi" also means "excuse me" and can be placed at the beginning or the end of the sentences as follows:

(i) Mh goi, y6uh m6uh go fe a? (ii) Y6uh m6uh go fe, mh goi.

(Excuse me, do you have coffee?)

c) Cheng mahn + verb + noun + final particle + ?

"Cheng mahn" means " May I ask" in English and is used when asking for an object or for help. It is similar to "Mh goi" when it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. However, "Cheng mahn" is more formal than "Mh goi."

e.g. Cheng mahn gei cheuhng seui gei chin a? (May I ask)( airport fax) (how much money) (final particle) May I ask how much the airport tax costs?

127

12 Interests and Hobbies A. Lingo

Types of Sports dii1J) Wahnduhng: Verb ~ Do Bo n~ playing ball games Do M6hng kauh VM!!~ playing tennis Do Bik kauh n~~ playing squash Do Bing bam bo lJ .J:iq~ playing table tennis Do Go yi fu kauh fliffil~~ playing golf Tek Jok kauh ~le~ playing football Yauh Seui nH7..1< swimming Chihm Seui 1'17..1< diving Waaht Seui i!7..1< water-skiing Lauh Bing )i)J.k ice-skating Haahng Soan fiW hiking Po au Bouh lffi!~ jogging Soan Bouh ft~ strolling Others :

Toi Dihn sih DilU~ watching TV Toi Hei Oi/fi watching movies Toi Syo Di. reading books Teng Yom ngohk lift~ listening to music Teng Sou yam gei lll&~lll listening to the radio

129

No Swe4t C4nfonese

Verb Object Cheung Go Cheung "K" Taahn Kahm Heui Leuih hahng Haahng Gaai Teng Lauh hahng

kok Teng Yiuh gwun

Adverbs :

Yet chaih Bat yuh

ngohk

~11! ~K 5ii!~ nffifj fjfti II >lit fj !HI II MUll~

singing singing karaoke playing the piano go travelling window-shopping listening to pop music listening to rock music

together let's

-~===:~~~---------- .. SPORTS AND RECREATION

In Hong Kong, there are many places that offer well-equipped sports facilities for a low fee:

1. SCAA: South China Athletic Association. Located in Happy Valley, this club looks a little old but is endowed with every facility possible; including a huge bowling hall .

2 . LCSD: Leisure and Cultural Services Department. This govern-ment agency runs Games Halls that provide facilities for swimming, squash, badminton, tennis, running track, etc. for a minimal fee. Halls are found throughout the region . A large, modern Squash Hall is located on the edge of Hong Kong Park next to Central.

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C J...apter /2. In-terests and -Hot!>l!>ies

B. Chit Chat

1 .

2 .

3 .

A:

B:

A:

B:

A:

B:

A:

Neih jung mh jung yi t6i hei a? (Do you like to watch movies?)

Ng6h h6u jung yi tai hei . (I like watching movies very much.)

Neih jung mh jung yi cheung goa? (Do you like to sing?)

Ng6h h6u jung yi cheung go. (I like singing very much.)

Neih dok hoahn jung yi jouh mot yeh a? (What do you like to do in your spare time?)

Ng6h jung yi youh seui tuhng tai syu . Neih ne? (I like swimming and reading . And you?)

Ng6h jung yi heui leuih hohng tuhng haahng soan. Neih gaau ng6h youh seui dok mh dok a? (I like travelling and hiking . Can you teach me how to swim?)

B: Oak, ng6h ting yaht dok hoahn. (OK! I am free tomorrow.)

A: H6u a. (Great.)

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CAapter /2 In-teres-ts and -HoBBies

D. Grammatical Notes

1. Likes and dislikes : When talking about your hobbies in Cantonese, you will need to use the same sentence structure that you use in English:

Pronoun+ Adverb + Auxiliary verb+ Verb-Object

a) Ng6h gei jung yi cheung go. (I) (quite) (like) (singing)

b) Ng6h h6u 1ung yi cheung go. (I) (very much) (like) (singing)

c) Ng6h rhh jung yi cheung go. (I) (don't) (like) (singing)

2 . " Let's .. . " / Bat yuh .. . Ia : To put forward a friendly suggestion, use "Bat yuh ... Ia" in the following formula :

Bot yuh + subject (pronoun/noun) + verb + Ia

e.g . Bat yuh ng6h deih heui cheung go Ia? (Let) (us) (go) (singing) (final particle) (Let's go singing.)

"La " ind icates the invitation or suggestion for doin;~ a certain thing. e'

I -":-a FILmS

Hong Kong 's large c inemas are divided into bi lingual (UA) and Ch inese . The bilingual cinemas show Hollywood films, the top films from other countries, and larger local productions with En-gl ish subtit les. Hong Kong is the movie-making centre of Asia. There are two fi lrh studios that concentrate on nia rt ial a rts a nd Jove stories. Jack ie Chan is the owner of one of them.

For the ln d ie fil m fan , Hong Ko ng has th ree ci ne mas to offer: the Broadway Cinematheq ue in Yau rna Tei , the Hong Kong Fil ni Archive in Sai Wan Ho, and the Cine-Art in Wan Cha i North. For two weeks in April Hong Kong hosts a large Intern atio na l Fi lm Festival.

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;)

13 Weather A. Lingo

Hei wan ml>A temperature Douh If! degree Sap douh )Iff! humidity Baak fohn ji i31BiZ percent (+number) nn hei ~It weather Yiht 1m hot H6u tin ttf~ good weather Yam tin II!~ overcast Nyuhn Ill warm Leuhng )fit cool Dung )JR cold Gon ~ dry Sap jft wet Yuh mii rain Syut ~ snow Mouh II fog Yeuhng gwong 61!~ sunshine Neuih bouh ~- thunderstorm Bouh yuh Rmii rainstorm Jaauh yuh l!mii showers Fung 1m! wind Toih fung llllml typhoon H6 lohng ijJfi~ probably

135

No 5we;;t C;;ntonese

Dim !0 how Ji ~ to, till Sim dihn 0011 lightning Seui joi 7J

CAapter/3 weather

B. Chit Chat

1.

2 .

A: Airport staff P: Passenger

P:

A:

P:

A:

Gam yaht Ou hook laohn hei wan gei do douh a? (What's the temperature today in Auckland?)

26 douh. (26 degrees.)

Heung Gong tin hei dim a? (How's the weather in Hong Kong?)

Hou tin . (The weather is good .)

3 . Amy is reading the newspaper with Peter. P: Peter A : Amy

P: Amy, Heung Gong gam yoht hei wan gei do douh a? (Amy, what's the temperature in Hong Kong today?)

A : Heung Gong gam yoht hei wan hoih 18 douh. (Todoy's temperature in Hong Kong is 18 C.)

P: Dung Ging (Tokyo) ne? (How about Tokyo?)

5 A : Dung Ging hoih 19 ji 25 douh. (Tokyo is 19-25 oq

P: nng yoht Heung Gong ge tin hei wuih dim a? (What will the weather in Hong Kong be like tomorrow?)

A: Ho lahng wuih hou tin, y6uh sih y6uh joouh yuh. (It will probably be sunny with occasional showers.)

137

N o 5we

CAap-ter 13

5. During a typhoon I

TYPHOON WARNINGS

Typhoons are tropical storms that can be devastating . They origi-nate in the South China Sea and move north towards the Phillippines, Hong Kong, Guangdong and Taiwan at slightly dif-ferent times of the year. For Hong Kong, the period between May and November is typhoon season.

As with the rainstorm warning system, radio and televi-sion will broadcast the typhoon warnings to the public : When the Yat houh fong kauh (Typhoon no. 1) is hoisted, the typhoon is centered within 800 kilometers of Hong Kong. You should take the possibility of o typhoon into consideration when planning your days ahead . When the Saam houh fong kauh (Typhoon no. 3) is hoisted, the wind is blowing at 41-62 km/ h. You should secure all loose objects and temporary structures such as scaffolding. All kinder-gartens will be closed . When the Boat houh fong kauh (Typhoon no. 8) is hoisted, the strong winds have officially been classified as a gale or storm. All schools and commercial offices will be closed. You should put masking tape on windows in order to prevent flying glass. With the hoisting of the Gau houh fong kauh (Typhoon no. 9) or Sahp houh fong kauh (Typhoon no . 1 0), the storm has become a hurricane . You should stay indoors away from doors or windows to avoid flying debris.

When there 's a typhoon, you will see supermarkets like Park' N' Shop and Wellcome packed with people buying groceries in a frenzy. Weather conditions above a "Saam hauh fong kauh" (Typhoon Signal 3) can rapidly deteriorate and be potentially destructive.

~--~~----,...--.. ~ John is telling Lauren to go home. J: Lauren, yih go do Boat houh fung kouh Ia, neih faai

di faan ok kei Ia. {lauren, the typhoon no.8 has been hoisted . You'd better go home~.)

L: Hou a . Neih yih go hoi bin douh a? (OK. Where are you now?)

J: Ng6h hoi gOng si. Ngoh yih go faan uk kei Ia. {I am at the office. I am going home now.)

139

No 5we;;f C;;nfonese

C. One-liners

nng yaht Foot gwok wuih lohk syut. (There will be snow in France tomorrow.)

2 . Gam yaht h6u nyuhn . (It is warm today.)

3 . nng yaht Heung Gong wuih do fung . (There will be a typhoon in Hong Kong tomorrow.)

4. nng yaht Maahn Guk h6u riht. (It will be hot in Bangkok tomorrow.)

5. Gam yaht Sing Go Bo mh h6u tin. (Singapore's weather is not good today.)

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CJ.,ap-ter/3

D. Grammatical notes

1. There are four ways to describe weather:

(i) Time element + adverb + adj

e.g. Gam yaht h6u (Today} (very} It's very warm/wet today.

nyuhn/sap . (worm/ wet}

(ii) Time element + Verb-Object construction

e.g . Kahm yaht sfm dihn. (yesterday} (lightning} There was lightning yesterday.

A verb-object construction is a combination of a verb and an object that can be used as both a single verb and a noun (similar to the use of the" -ing" construction as a noun, e.g. "the traveling"). Some other examples are:

Noun Verb-object construction haahng leuih (thundering) Leuih bouh (thunder)

Toih fung (typhoon) d6 fung (having a typhoon) Syut (snow) lohk syut (snowing)

(iii) Time element + y6uh/m6uh + Object

e.g. Ting yaht y6uh syut. (Tomorrow} (has} (snow} There will be snow tomorrow.

e.g. Sing keih yaht m6uh yeuhng gwong . (Sunday} (has no} (sunshine} There will be no sunshine on Sunday.

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Chap-ter/3

b) When the word "wuih" is omitted, the sentence expresses the definite future. This is especially the case when the time ele-ment is mentioned.

Time element + verb + object

e.g . Ting yaht y6uh ~ (Tomorrow) (has) (~now) There will [definitely] be snow tomorrow.

Time element + Subject + verb + object

e.g. Yeuhng sin saang ting yaht aan jau hoi wui. (Yeung) (Mr.) (tomorrow offernoon)(hove meeting) Mr. Yeung will [definitely] be in a meeting tomorrow afternoon.

143

14 In the Kitchen A. lingo

Chyuh sl mmi chef

" Choih liu Jmit:l ingredients Yip liu llit:l marinade Faatgwok choi >nlllm French-style dish Junggwok choi q:JIIIM Chinese-style dish Yahtbun choi sznm Japanese-style

dish Yandouh choi ED ~JiM Indian-style dish Tauh pun fill entree Jyu choi ~m main dish Leang pun ~- cold dish nhm ban m~ dessert Hoi waih choi f!Jl!JJM appetizer S!H!SQnings: Ylhm g salt Tohng sugar Jeung yauh ll)fb soya sauce nuh meih liu iJJDmit:l spices Chou M vinegar Ga lei fan lllllllim curry powder Wuh jlu