Cantonese No Sweat

'

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

includes CD

with pronunciation aid

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.

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:"

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!

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!

...

~---~~

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

No Swe<!f C<!nfonese

1

.

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 Good Good looking Good quality I, me High tone Middle tone low tone

Ch<Jpfer 1 Wh<Jt is C<Jnfonese!

1.3.1 Initials

Here is a list of all the Initials you will find in Cantonese.

Initial Cantonese Meaning Chinese

0

example b be father

~

p pa be afraid of

lie

d de dozen

n

ta he

flt!

g go home

~

k ka carriage

*

fa flower

«:

h he shrimp

Ji

n nah Ia take

•

Ia please

om

ja to drive

m

ch cha bad

~

m me mother

Ill

ng ngah teeth

~

gw gwa melon

~

kw kwa to climb over

~

sa sand

)Ul

w wah to say

~

y yah also

tE

No Swe<Jt C<Jntonese

1

.

3

.

2 Finals

Here is a list of all the Finals you will find in Cantonese.

Q

Final Cantonese Meaning Chinese

example

The 0 fa flower

it:

single

ooi mooi to buy

•

and double

Mil

"a" oou beau bread

finals

oom sa om three

a on do on bill

m

oong haohng to walk

fj

oak book hundred

i3

oop ngoop duck

!PI

a at boat eight

n

au gau nine

tl

om sam heart

/{j

on san new

iii

ong dang light

m

ok dak OK

~

at mat what

h

oi soi small

fall

Ch<Jpfer 1 Wh<Jt is C<Jnfonese!

Final Cantonese Meaning Chinese

0

example

e che car

m

The

ek sek kiss

•

''e"

finals

eng I eng good looking

•

eu heu boot

II:

euk jeuk to wear

•

eung leuhng two (a couple)

m

ei bei to give

tt

eui heui to go

n

eun seun letter

~

eut cheut exit

l±l

si to try

~

The

"i"

iu siu laugh

~

finals

im tihm sweet

m

in sin first

~

ip dip plate

li}ll

it yiht hot

im

ing bing ice

}~

ik sik can/able to

6M

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

Ch;Jpter 1 Wh<1t is C<1ntonese!

fa an sOan

The Finals p, t, and k are "unreleased." These sounds are pronounced as b, d and g in English.

The Initial <ng> can always be omitted. E.g. ng6h can be pronounced as 6h.

The Initial <ch> reads as <ts> in English.

The Initial <n> may be pronounced as <I>, but not vice versa, e.g. neih ("you") can be pronounced as leih, but lei, which is "pear" in English, 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 diffidiffi-culty), you're ready to begin to learn how to make actual words and sentences!

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

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

CJ.,apter2 NUMBers and 17-.int;,s Building 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 split them aport. The word for "pair" is the classifier "deui" (see 2.2).

No 5we;Jt Ciinfonese

-·~~~~~:~=====~

LUCKY NUMBERS

-

----~---­

Despite their worldliness, Hong Kong people con be quite 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.

((

No 5wei!f Ciinfonese

Here are a few more classifiers:

Bun Go Ji nuh Goon Go Jek Gihn Cheut Fohn Deui

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<iu" means

"a bottle of wine". It is also used as a classifier for long, slender and inflexible

objects such as cigarettes (yin)

for objects that are long and slender but flexible such as trousers (fu), necklace (gE'mglin), dress (kwahn), fish such as salmon (scam mahn yu), etc.

for buildings and contructians such as a house (uk), companies or department stores (gOngsi)

for machinery such as aircraft (fei-gei), radio (sou yam gei), television (dihn sih), etc.

for animals (excluding human beings), ships (syuhn), utensils such as forks (cha) and knives (dou), or songs (go), etc.

for clothes (scam) and individual garments such as suit (sci jong)

for movies (hei)

for newspapers (boji), job (gung) a pair, e.g. of shoes (yet deui haaih)

CJ.,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.

,,

__

_.

...

~

....

No Swe<Jf C<Jnfonese

2.4 Specifiers and Money Terms

Specifiers

:

Specifiers

indicate to a particular noun (singular or plural

form) that you may be pointing to.

Ni-go

this (one)

11Ft11

Ni-di

these (ones)

llftQ¥1

G6-go

that (one)

_PlmliJ

G6-di

those (ones)

PI!@

Money terms:

The word

"

go

"

is also used when talking about money. To

begin with

:

10 cents

yet houh

-·

20 cents

*leuhng

houh

JJ.j.

30 cents

scam houh

=•

40 cents

sei houh

flY.

dollar

man

_~

half

bun

*

*

20 cents is read as "leuhng

houh

"

rather than

"

yih houh

"

(i

.

e

.

a pair x 10 cents, and not 2 x 10 cents)

.

Leuhng

is also used for telling the time as well. Details will be

Chapter2

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

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 gei 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

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!

No Swe<tf C<tnfonese

Chit Chat

(11ft~)

kinggai

Nationalities

<m1J6)

gwok jihk:

Name or Verb "to be" Nationality

pronoun ?

fl

haih

II{

*

tPmiA

Ng6h (is, am, are) JOnggwok yahn

{I) (Chinese)

haih

Tim Yinggwok yahn

iQmiA

haih

(British)

Robert Oi yi laahn yahn

fifllill

haih {Irish)

Tara Meih gwok yahn

~m1A

haih (American)

Barry Ganahdaaih yahn

haih

(Canadian)

Renate Dak gwok yahn

~m1A

haih

(German)

Hayashida Yaht bun yahn

BztiA

haih

(Japanese)

Ram Yon douh yahn

EOliA

haih {Indian)

Sophie Foal gwok yahn

5fim11A

haih (French)

Julian Lauhsailaahn yahn

fmil§ifliA

haih

(New Zealander)

Leslie Ou jau yahn

itfJHHA

(Australian)

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

Languages (~~) yuh yihn:

0

Neih sik g6ng Gw6ngdung w<i (Cantonese) (you) (can) (speck)

111m~

fffi

iii

61

P6utung w<i (Mandarin)

MD~

Yingm<in (English) e.g.

145<

Richard sik g6ng Ychtm<in (Japanese)

8)(

Hohngm<in (Korean)

M><

Oakman (German)

fi)(

Factm<in

>n><

(French)

No 5we<Jt C<Jntonese

0

Professions (llfi~) jik yihp:

Leuht si

f!Bili

Lawyer

Gfng cheat

·~

Police

Yf sang

gg:

Doctor

GOng chihng si

I~Bili

Engineer Sip yfng si

-~Bili

Photographer

Ging leih

~~II

Manager

Ch6i kau ging leih

tl*III~~JI

Purchasing Manager Wuih gai si

·~Bili

Accountant

L6uh boon

~lf~X

Boss

Haahng gaai

fjffj

Sales

Sfh cheuhng teui

i'fHJUft

Iii

Marketing gw6ng

Gei je

~~

Journalist

L6uh si

~Bili

Teacher

Fu jung choih

iiiUfl!ii

Vice President Sou jihk jyu joih

§00111£

Chief Representative

yuhn

~

Hung je

~rm

Flight attendant

Gei si

IIIBili

Pilot

Gei jeung

~~~~

Captain

Chit gai si

~~Bifi

Designer

Gw6ng gou

_rli3

Advertising

Mouh dahk yih

9!~~

Model

Yin yuhn

jiif~

Actor

I

Actress

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 Chinese 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"

No Swe<Jt C<Jntonese

6. The phrase "Neih h6u me?" translates as "how are you." However, the correct way to respond to the local Chinese is "Youh sam" (you are kind to ask, literally "you have a heart") and not "Do jeh" or "Mh goi."

7. The word "Mh goi" can be translated as "please" or "excuse me" and can be put before or after questions or requests to make them more polite.

8. In Cantonese, we simply use "me," "a" or "go" at the end of a sentence to indicate that it is a question. E.g. "Neih h6u me?" The word "me" is a question word and simply means "?" (see 0.1 ).

9. There is another subtle difference to watch out for: Neih h6u me?

Neih dfm a?

means "how are you?" also means "how are you?"

but in an informal way, i.e you already know that person. It is similar to the greeting "How's it going?" in English. 10. The word "ne" means "how about" in English. E.g "How

about Patrick?" is translated as "Patrick ne?"

11. "La" is a particle placed at the end of the sentence that indicates the development of a new situation. e.g sihk j6 Ia. (from not eaten to eaten)- It's been eaten.

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.

No Swe<1f C<infonese

In Chinese, businessmen and others who engage in formal con-

r

versation address each other by their surnames first, followed by the appropriate title (Ms. Mr., Dr.).

3. Introducing another person.

A: Dang ng6h laih gaai siuh. Ni wei haih Ziemann slnsoang.

(Let me introduce. This is Mr. Ziemann.) B: Ziemann slnsoang neih h6u.

(Nice to meet you, Mr. Ziemann.)

A: Ziemann slnsoang haih Ylnggwok yahn. Keuih slk gong Ylngman tuhng Gw6ngdung we.

(Mr. Ziemann is English. He can speak English and Cantonese.)

4. Chatting informally with colleagues. Lauren is chatting with Mike in the office. L: Neih h6u, Mike. Neih sihk j6 foehn meih a?

(Hello, Mike, have you eaten?) M: Sihk j6 Ia.

(I have eaten already.) L: Hoi bin douh a?

(Whereabouts?) M: Hoi Yuhng Gei. (At Yung Kee.)

36

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?

No Sweiif 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.

No 5we<J t C<Jn tonese

7. Neih sik gong mot yeh we a? (What languages can you speak?) 8. Ngoh sik gong (language).

(I can speak .)

9. Ni go haih ngoh koat pin. (This is my name card.) 1 O.Neih sik mh sik (Robert) a?

(Do you know (Robert)?)

ll.Neih haih mh haih (Yinggwok) yahn a? (Are you from (England)?)

12.Neih sik mh sik gong (Gwongdung we) a? (Can you speak (Cantonese)?

13.Yeuh mouh yahn sik gong Gwongdung we a? (Is there anyone who can speak Cantonese?) 14.Ngoh cheng neih sihk faahn Ia.

(Let me take you out for lunch/dinner.)

....

40

THE RITUAL OF FIGHTING OVER THE BILL At both informal and formal dinners between business associates, you will often see businessmen get into frightfully loud arguments over who gets to pay. They are not really fighting; this is the Chinese way of giving the other person face by letting him pay for the meal. Or, conversely, of saving face by grabbing the bill out of the other person's hands. Meanwhile, the wait-ress will stand smilingly to the side and enjoy the show!

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.)

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 question, only re-peat the first syllable of the verb/adjective before "Mh", i.e !1Q! sik gong Mh sik

gong, but rather sik

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)

No Swe<Jt C<Jntonese

3. Chinese names:

Chinese names are made up of 2, 3 or even

4

syllables and they follow a structure that is different from that of English names.

The surname always comes before the given names, which is the opposite of how names are said and written in English. Addressing people by their titles follows the same structure.

e.g. Leuhng Wai-wai 's surname is Leung and her given

names are Wai-wai.

"Leuhng sin saang" is a gentlemen whose surname is

11 leung."

"Leuhng sfu je'' is a lady whose surname is "Leung".

Some people's surnames have two syllables, e.g. the surname

"Si-touh" (Seto/Szeto) .

...

~!Jc:

While addressing your own wife,

...

::·:=k!!i•~---••-.

it is common to use "toai t6ai" or "16uh p6h." However, you may also come across the word "jyu faahn p6" (literally, "rice-cooking woman"). This used to mean "housewife" in Cantonese. Nowadays, since women ore pervasive throughout the business world in Hong Kong, this phrase may no longer be appreciated!

When addressing a woman and you are not sure whether she is married or single, it is better to say "siu je'' (Miss) to her. Otherwise you might offend her, for even though she may be over 50 years old she may still be single .

.

_

...

_____

,___~~

5. Cheng:

The verb "Cheng" means "please" or "to invite" in different contexts.

e.g. Ng6h cheng neih sihk faahn.

(I'll invite you to a meal.)

44

Cheng ch6h Ia. (Please take a seat.)

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

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

No Swe<Jf C<Jnfonese

B. Chit Chat

1. Is Stefan tall?

A: Stefan gou rhh gou a? (Is Stefan tall?) B: Gou.

(Yes.) 2. Is Chris fat? A: Chris feih rhh feih a?

(Is Chris fat?) B: Mh feih.

(No.) 3. Tall or short?

A: John gou dihng ngai a? (Is John tall or short?) B: Gou/ngai.

(Tall/short.) 4. Fat or thin?

A: Keuih feih dihng sou a? (Is he/she fat or thin?) B: Feih/sau.

(Fat/thin.)

5. Does lan wear glasses?

A: ian yauh m6uh daai ngaahn geng a? (Does lan wear glasses?)

B: Yauh. (Yes.) M6uh. (No.)

Chap-ter <f Physical Appearance

6. What does Ray look like?

A: Ray dim yeung go?

(What does Ray look like?)

B: Keuih gou gou sou sou, y6uh wuh sou.

(He is tall and thin and has a beard.)

7. Who is taller?

A: Bob gou di dihng Ray~ a?

(Who is taller, Bob or Ray?)

B: Bob gou di.

(Bob is taller.)

C. One-liners

1. Craig

2

.

Niko

3

.

Sara 4. Keuih (He/ She) 5. Mary h6u (is very) gei (is quite) mhhaih gei (is not too) h6u (is very) h6u (is very) h6u (is very) h6u (has a very) gou. (tall) sou. (thin) lou h. (old) leng j6i. (handsome) leng neui. (pretty) daaih jek. (well built) sai lap. (small figure)

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)

No Swe<1f C<infonese

4 Dihng (Choice-type questions)·

To make a choice, we use "or" in English, which is the same as

"Dihng" in Cantonese.

e.g. A: Anthony gou dihng ngc'Ji a? (Is Anthony tall or short?)

B: Gou/ngai. (Tall/ short)

e.g. A: Bob yauh sou dihng wuh sou a? (Does Bob have a beard or a moustache?) B: Sou/wuh sou.

(Beard/moustache.)

5 "Pronoun-verb± verb-noun" questions·

Remember, when "yauh m6uh" is used to ask the question, we must answer either "yauh" or "m6uh," not" haih "or "Mh haih."

e.g. A: Michelle yauh m6uh daai ngaahn geng a? (Does Michelle wear glasses?)

B: Yauh. (Yes) M6uh. (No) 6 Comparatives·

"Di" means "more" in English. It is a comparative and is placed after the adjective. For example, "h6u" means "good"

in English, "h6u di" means better. e.g. leng (pretty) leng di (prettier)

ngc'Ji (short) ngc'Ji di (shorter)

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

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

I

Q

56

No Swe<1 t C<in tonese

Gei yuhn

~!I

how for

Miuh gooi

filii

Temple Street

Neuih yon gooi

tlAii

Lady's market

Dim

IS

how

Jciu bo

~UP:!

pub

Gooi hciu

iiD

intersection

Dong wcii

mm

traffic light

Boon mcih sin

~I

~It

pedestrian crossing

...

THE OCTOPUS CARD

Hong Kong has an excellent public transport system that is linked by one common method of payment: the Octopus card. A small mag-netic card the size of a credit card, it can be "recharged" and is a

very versatile product indeed. You only need to pay $50 deposit for

it.

The multipurpose Octopus card is called "boot dooht tong" in

Cantonese, which literally means "all eight arrive in connection."

There's no need to toke it out of your wallet when you get on the bus or go through the turnstiles; the cord con be read by the machine through your wallet or even handbag, thus eliminating the need to

fumble for money and tickets, as well as the chances of not having

the right change.

The Octopus cord con be recharged at any MTR station and at

convenience stores such as Circle K and 7 -Eleven. In some places

you con even purchase other items with the money stored on the

Cf.,ap-ter 5 Transporta-tion

Common directions

(]JrQJ)

fong

Jyun j6

.tt

Jyun yauh

.E

Jihk heui

lin

Tihng

~

Ni-douh

!Ft§f

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)

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 coastline 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!)

"

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.)

60

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 sin yauh lohk" (Stop at the pedestrian 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.