Cantonese Expressions and Phrasebook

8/19/2019 Cantonese Expressions and Phrasebook

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http://www.clc.com.hk Page 3

Section 1 VocabVocabVocabVocab

Unit 1 1 to 10

1.1 1 to 10 [T1]

1.1.1) Vocab

1 yyyytttt 一

2 yihyihyihyih 二

3 samsamsamsam 三 4 seiseiseisei 四

5 çghçghçghçgh 五 6 luhk luhk luhk luhk 六

7 chtchtchtcht 七

8 baat baat baat baat 八 9 gáugáugáugáu 九

10 sahpsahpsahpsahp 十

0 llllì ìì ìhnghnghnghng 零

1.1.2) Note2 - When people say “two of something”, “léuhngléuhngléuhngléuhng” is used instead of “yihyihyihyih”.

4 - “Die” or “dead” sounds: “séiséiséiséi”, which sounds like “4: seiseiseisei”. Therefore Chinese don’tlike the number of “4”

5 - It should be pronounced as “çghçghçghçgh” according to dictionaries. However most people

say “±h±h±h±h” instead and it is generally accepted.

1.1.3) Exercises

a) Practice

1) What is your telephone number? ______________________

2) How many family members do you have? _______________

3) How many days are there in a week ? _____________

4) How many people are here ? _____________

Cantonese Expressions - 1 Page 4

1.2 Tens [T2]

1.2.1) Expressions10 sahpsahpsahpsahp 十 20 yih sahpyih sahpyih sahpyih sahp 二十 30 sam sahpsam sahpsam sahpsam sahp 三十 40 sei sahpsei sahpsei sahpsei sahp 四十 50 çgh sahpçgh sahpçgh sahpçgh sahp 五十 60 luhk sahpluhk sahpluhk sahpluhk sahp 六十 70 cht sahpcht sahpcht sahpcht sahp 七十 80 baat sahp baat sahp baat sahp baat sahp 八十 90 gáu sahpgáu sahpgáu sahpgáu sahp 九十

1.2.2) Exercises

1) 20 _____________________

yihyihyihyih----sahpsahpsahpsahp 二二二二

2) 60 _____________________

luhk luhk luhk luhk----sahpsahpsahpsahp 六六六六

3) 90 _____________________ggggááááuuuu----sahpsahpsahpsahp 九九九九


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2.3 Short form for 21-99 [T5]

2.3.1) NoteMost of the time, native speakers use the short form instead of the original full form,even though it is not much shorter, it makes the sounds smoother.

For the short forms:21-29: yihyihyihyih----sahpsahpsahpsahp is changed into yahyahyahyah

31-39: samsamsamsam----sahpsahpsahpsahp is changed into ssss----ahahahah

41-99: sahpsahpsahpsahp is changed into ahahahah

2.3.2) VocabRefer to the above table

2.3.3) Exercises1) 66 ____________________

luhk luhk luhk luhk----ahahahah----luhk luhk luhk luhk 六六六六六六六六

2) 74 ____________________

chchchchtttt----ahahahah----seiseiseisei 七七七七

3) 86 ____________________

baat baat baat baat----ahahahah----luhkluhkluhkluhk 八八八八六六六六

4) 98 ____________________

gáugáugáugáu----ahahahah----baat baat baat baat 九九九九八八八八


2.4 The short form for 20, 30 etc [T6]

2.4.1) NoteIf talking about twenty, thirty etc, it’s too short to use the short form, so people still saythe original form.

However if people talk about twenty of something (20 units), thirty of something etc,people use the short form.

2.4.2) Expressions

dollar mnmnmnmn 蚊

$20 yahyahyahyah mnmnmnmn 廿蚊

$30 ssss----ahahahah mnmnmnmn 三蚊

$40 seiseiseisei----ah mnah mnah mnah mn 四蚊

$50 çghçghçghçgh----ah mnah mnah mnah mn 五蚊

$60 luhk luhk luhk luhk----ah mnah mnah mnah mn 六蚊

$70 chtchtchtcht----ah mnah mnah mnah mn 七蚊

$80 baat baat baat baat----ah mnah mnah mnah mn 八蚊

$90 gáugáugáugáu----ah mnah mnah mnah mn 九蚊

2.4.3) Exercises

1) $20 ____________________

yah mnyah mnyah mnyah mn 廿廿廿廿

2) $40 ____________________

seiseiseisei----ah mnah mnah mnah mn 七七七七

3) $50 ____________________

çghçghçghçgh----ah mnah mnah mnah mn


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4.2.3) Exercises

a) Translation

1) Monday ______________________________________

sngsngsngsng----kèihkèihkèihkèih----yt / láihyt / láihyt / láihyt / láih----baai baai baai baai----ytytytyt 星星星星十十十十 //// 禮禮禮禮十十十十

2) Sunday ______________________________________

sngsngsngsng----kèihkèihkèihkèih----yaht / láihyaht / láihyaht / láihyaht / láih----baai baai baai baai----yahtyahtyahtyaht 星星星星 //// 禮禮禮禮

3) Saturday ______________________________________

sngsngsngsng----kèihkèihkèihkèih----luhk / láihluhk / láihluhk / láihluhk / láih----baai baai baai baai----luhk luhk luhk luhk 星星星星六六六六 //// 禮禮禮禮六六六六

b) Practice

4) What is this day of the week? _______________________________

5) What day is it tomorrow? ___________________________________

6) What day was it yesterday? _________________________________

7) Which day(s) are you off work each week? _____________________


Section 2 Different parts of speechDifferent parts of speechDifferent parts of speechDifferent parts of speech

Unit 5 Modal particles

5.1 Modal particles [T11]

5.1.1) VocabPM (question) aaaa

PM (question) gagagaga 㗎

PM (polite request) 吖

PM (answer with pleased ending)

吖

PM (answer with finality tone) aak aak aak aak 呃

PM (for defining) gegegege 嘅

5.1.2) Note

a) General“PM, Particle Modal” stands for “Modal Particle”. It doesn’t carry literal meanings but just shows different modals or tones.

b) Skip itAs modal particle don’t carry literal meanings, if you are not sure what modal particlesyou should use, you can just leave it. It won’t change the meanings of your sentences. It just sounds more plain and not so “colourful” as native Cantonese speakers do.

c) “aaaa” and “gagagaga”

When “aaaa” and “gagagaga” are used for questions, very often, they are interchangeable.

“aaaa” sounds more for “single event” questions while “gagagaga” sounds more for “general case”

questions

5.1.3) Expressions

1) When do you deliver?

géigéigéigéi----ssssì ìì ìh sungh sungh sungh sung----fofofofo a?a?a?a? 幾幾幾幾 ????when deliver goods PM

2) Do you deliver?

sungsungsungsung hhhh sungsungsungsung----fofofofo ga ? ga ? ga ? ga ? 送送送送 ????delivery not delivery goods PM?


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9.5 Apologies [T20]

9.5.1) Expressions

SorrySorrySorrySorry

excuse me / sorry hhhh hóu yihóu yihóu yihóu yi----sisisisi 唔

not good meaningssorry deui h jyuhdeui h jyuhdeui h jyuhdeui h jyuh 對唔

Answer Answer Answer Answernever mind h gh gh gh gáááánnnn----yiuyiuyiuyiu 唔 not + important

no problem mmmmóóóóuh muh muh muh mahnahnahnahn----tàtàtàtàihihihih 冇題 no + problem

9.5.2) Note

a) hhhh----hhhhóóóóu yiu yiu yiu yi----sisisisiThe literal meanings of it is: “has a meaning of embarrassing”. People use it when theyfind sorry for inconvenience caused.

b) deuideuideuideui h jyuhh jyuhh jyuhh jyuhCantonese say it when they really make a fault or a mistake and sounds they make theapologies more seriously.

In daily life, people say “hhhh----hhhhóóóóu yiu yiu yiu yi----sisisisi” more than “deuideuideuideui h jyuhh jyuhh jyuhh jyuh”. Anyway, quite often,they are interchangeable.

c) Answer to apologiesCantonese do not say “don’t worry” when someone apologize to them.

Besides, quite often, people say “h gh gh gh gáááánnnn----yiu, myiu, myiu, myiu, móóóóuh mahnuh mahnuh mahnuh mahn----tàihtàihtàihtàih” together.


9.5.3) Exercises

a) Questions

What do you say in the following situations?

1) You sneeze in the library and you want to say “excuse me” to others____

hhhh----hóu yihóu yihóu yihóu yi----sisisisi 邊邊邊邊

2) You caused your friend lose $10,000. _____________________________

deui h jyuhdeui h jyuhdeui h jyuhdeui h jyuh 對對對對

3) When you chat with your friend and you have to pick up the phone______

h hóu yi sih hóu yi sih hóu yi sih hóu yi si 邊邊邊邊

4) Someone asks you where a MTR station is but you don’t know. ________

h hóu yi sih hóu yi sih hóu yi sih hóu yi si 邊邊邊邊


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Unit 12 Size and colour

12.1 Size [T25]

12.1.1)

Vocabsize chek chek chek chek----máhmáhmáhmáh 尺 size máhmáhmáhmáh size saisaisaisai----sísísísí size

large daaih máhdaaih máhdaaih máhdaaih máh 大 medium jng máh jng máh jng máh jng máh 中

small sai máhsai máhsai máhsai máh 細

extra small gggg saisaisaisai máhmáhmáhmáh 加細 extra large g daaih máhg daaih máhg daaih máhg daaih máh 加大

one size yt go máhyt go máhyt go máhyt go máh 一個 free size f saif saif saif sai----sísísísí free 士

larger daaihdaaihdaaihdaaih----d d d d 大 smaller saisaisaisai----d d d d 細

too taaitaaitaaitaai 太


12.1.2) Expressions

a) Ask

1) Do you have a large one ?

yáuh móuh daaihyáuh móuh daaihyáuh móuh daaihyáuh móuh daaih máh gamáh gamáh gamáh ga ???? 有有有有 ????

2) Do you have a larger one ?

yáuh móuh daaihyáuh móuh daaihyáuh móuh daaihyáuh móuh daaih d ga?d ga?d ga?d ga? 有有有有啲啲啲啲 ????

3) Do you have a smaller one?

yáuh móuh saiyáuh móuh saiyáuh móuh saiyáuh móuh sai d d d d gagagaga ???? 有有有有啲啲啲啲 ????

4) Yes

yáuhyáuhyáuhyáuh 有有有有

5) No, we don’t have

móuhmóuhmóuhmóuh

b) Ordering

6) One large one please (referring to a clothing)

h gi yth gi yth gi yth gi yt gihngihngihngihn daaihdaaihdaaihdaaih máh máh máh máh 送送送送唔唔唔唔一一一一吖吖吖吖

7) One small one, please

h gi yt gihn saih gi yt gihn saih gi yt gihn saih gi yt gihn sai máhmáhmáhmáh 送送送送唔唔唔唔一一一一吖吖吖吖 c) Doesn’t fit

8) This one is too small. (for clothes)

n gihn taai sain gihn taai sain gihn taai sain gihn taai sai 呢呢呢呢

12.1.3) Exercises

a) Translation

1) Do you have a small size? ____________________________

yáuhyáuhyáuhyáuh----móuh saimóuh saimóuh saimóuh sai----máh ga?máh ga?máh ga?máh ga? 有有有有 ????

2) Do you have a larger one? ____________________________

yáuhyáuhyáuhyáuh----móuh daaihmóuh daaihmóuh daaihmóuh daaih----d ga?d ga?d ga?d ga? 有有有有啲啲啲啲 ????


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3) A: Please sit here. What do you want?Drinks ordering


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) y

B: Do you have Barbecue pork with rice?

A: Yes ____________________________________________

B: How much ? _____________________________________________

A: $26 ____________________________________________

B: One please _____________________________________________A: chóh n A: chóh n A: chóh n A: chóh n----douh , yiu d m a?douh , yiu d m a?douh , yiu d m a?douh , yiu d m a? 坐坐坐坐呢呢呢呢 ,,,, 啲啲啲啲咩咩咩咩 ????

B: yáuh móuh chB: yáuh móuh chB: yáuh móuh chB: yáuh móuh ch----ssssu faahn a? u faahn a? u faahn a? u faahn a? 有有有有义义义义燒燒燒燒 ????

A: yáuhA: yáuhA: yáuhA: yáuh

B: géi chín a?B: géi chín a?B: géi chín a?B: géi chín a? 幾幾幾幾錢錢錢錢 ????

A: yahA: yahA: yahA: yah----luhk mnluhk mnluhk mnluhk mn 廿廿廿廿六六六六

B: B: B: B: hhhh----ggggi yi yi yi ytttt----gogogogo 唔唔唔唔十十十十四四四四


Unit 16 Drinks ordering

16.1 Drinks ordering [T32]

16.1.1) Vocab

DrinksDrinksDrinksDrinkscoffee ggggaaaa ffff 咖啡

black coffee jai f jai f jai f jai f 齋啡

tea with milk (milk tea) náaihnáaihnáaihnáaih----chàhchàhchàhchàh 奶

lemon tea lìhnglìhnglìhnglìhng----mngmngmngmng----chàhchàhchàhchàh 檸

orange juice cháangcháangcháangcháang----jp jp jp jp 橙

beer b b b b----jáu jáu jáu jáu 啤 water séuiséuiséuiséui 水

tea chàhchàhchàhchàh

OrderingOrderingOrderingOrderingone of … yyyytttt----gogogogo 一個

one glass/cup of yyyytttt----bi bi bi bi 一

cold dungdungdungdung 凍 hot yihtyihtyihtyiht 熱

OthersOthersOthersOthersdrink (to drink) yyyyáááámmmm 飲

give béi béi béi béi 畀

leave j jj jááááuuuu 走

ice b bb b ngngngng 冰 don’t, not hhhh 唔


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