In this series geared toward the absolute beginner, you will learn how to greet people, ask questions, talk about the present, past, and future, count, and much more. You'll hear Cantonese spoken in many different situations, which means you will pick up a wide variety of Cantonese phrases.
| Lesson |
Title |
Topic |
Function |
Conversation in target language |
Grammar Point |
Vocabulary |
Expressions |
| #1 |
Where are you Going in Hong Kong? |
actions |
to eat or to work |
一陣去邊？
麥當勞。
食嘢？
做嘢。 |
(verb) + "something" |
我想飲嘢。
I want to drink something. |
一陣
去
邊
麥當勞
食嘢
做嘢
講嘢
飲嘢 |
| #2 |
Where in Hong Kong Have You Been? |
completed actions |
nowhere |
你去咗邊啊？
幾時？
頭先。
冇去邊啊。 |
(verb) + "past tense marker" |
我食咗飯。
I ate dinner. |
咗
幾時
頭先
冇去邊
食咗
做咗
講咗
飲咗 |
| #3 |
Weekend Cantonese Class? |
necessary to do something |
weekdays |
我哋使唔使上堂啊？
幾時？
聽日。
禮拜六？唔使。 |
"Do I/we need to..." |
我哋使唔使上堂啊?
Do we need to go to class? |
使唔使
上堂
聽日
唔使
禮拜一
禮拜二
禮拜六
禮拜日 |
| #4 |
Are you Late for Work in Hong Kong Today? |
referring to a certain time |
sorry I'm late |
我今朝遲到。
遲到幾耐？
小小嗟。十點。
一個鐘頭？ |
time of day |
我今朝遲到。
I was late this morning. |
遲到
幾耐
小小
嗟
朝早
中午
下晝
日頭
夜晚
今朝
今晚
|
| #5 |
What Do You Do in Hong Kong? |
talking about occupation |
what do you do |
你做咩咖？
我係老師。
哦。
你做咩咖？
我係學生。 |
"I am + profession" = "I do + profession" |
佢係工程師。
He's an engineer. |
做咩
老師
學生
醫生
律師
工程師
演員
導演 |
| #6 |
Weather in Hong Kong |
referring to an object |
I think so |
好焗啊。
我都覺。
可能會落雨。
我都覺。 |
"I think..."
"I don't think..."
"I agree..."
"I don't agree..."
|
我都覺。
I think so, too. |
焗
潮濕
熱
凍
曬
落雨
覺
可能 |
| #7 |
Which Color Looks Good in Hong Kong? |
asking for opinions |
which color looks good |
邊隻顏色好呢？
白色？
唔好。
紅色？
唔好。
黑色？
好。 |
which (noun) is good?
|
邊個好？
Which one is good? |
邊
只
白色
紅色
黑色
綠色
藍色
黃色 |
| #8 |
TV Secrets of Hong Kong |
asking for recommendations |
what's on tv |
電視有咩好睇？
電視劇。
仲有呢？
廣告。 |
Is there anything good to + (verb)?
what would you recommend? |
有咩好食？
"Is there anything good to eat?" |
電視
電視機
電視劇
電視節目
電影
廣告
仲有呢？ |
| #9 |
Hong Kong Movies |
choosing between options |
let's watch a movie |
一齊睇電影吖？
好。不如睇話劇吖？
電影定話劇？
是但。
|
a or b? |
電影定話劇？
"Movie or play?" |
不如
電影
戲
話劇
音樂會
演唱會
定
是但 |
| #10 |
Renting an Apartment in Hong Kong |
degrees of adjectives |
renting a house |
我要租屋。
想要幾大？
五百呎。
冇問題。
|
"how" + (adjective) ?
|
想要幾大？
"How big do you want?" |
租
合租
屋
房
屋租
想要
幾大
五百
呎 |
| #11 |
Hong Kong Hotels |
booking a hotel room |
booking a hotel room |
我要訂房。
咩房？
標準房。
幾間？
一間。
好。 |
reservation-making vocab |
我要訂房。
"I want to book a room." |
訂
標準房
雙人房
單人房
總統套房
退房
大堂
間 |
| #12 |
Jammed in Hong Kong |
apologizing |
traffic jam |
唔好意思我遲到
唔緊要
塞車。真係對唔住。
唔緊要，我明。 |
"sorry"
"it's okay"
"i understand" |
真係對唔住。
"I'm really sorry." |
遲到
早到
塞車
瞓過籠
撞車
真係
唔緊要
明 |
| #13 |
Cash or Card in Hong Kong |
choosing between options |
cash or card? |
埋單，唔該。
現金定碌咭啊？
碌咭。
好。 |
a or b？
|
現金定碌咭啊？
"Cash or card?" |
埋單
現金
單
信用咭
碌咭
碌爆咭
散紙
貼士 |
| #14 |
Shopping in Hong Kong |
superiors & progressing actions |
on sale |
呢個商場打緊折。
打幾折？
最低三折
咁平？一齊去啦。 |
"the most" + (adjective)
|
最低三折
"Seventy percent off at most." |
商場
打折
折
最
低
高
咁
平
貴 |
| #15 |
Opening a Bank Account in Hong Kong |
opening a bank account |
banking |
我想開戶。
可以。幾錢？
十蚊。
十蚊？唔好意思，唔得。
點解？
開戶至少要一百蚊。 |
bank vocab |
我想開戶。
"I'd like to open a bank account" |
開戶
點解
至少
銀行
櫃檯
存錢
攞錢
利息
櫃員機 |
| #16 |
Paying Phone Bills in Hong Kong |
not be able to do something |
phone bill |
你電話打唔通。
係咩?
要交電話費喇。
咩係電話費啊？ |
"can't get" + (adjective)
(subject/object) + (verb) + "negative term" + (adjective) |
你電話打唔通。
"Your phone would not connect through." |
打
通
短訊
留言
電話費
交
電話公司
電話薄 |
| #17 |
Recharging Phones in Cantonese |
even more
|
topup |
電話冇錢。
充值啦。
仲冇電。
叉電啦。
|
also; even more
|
仲冇電。
"Its battery is also dead." |
充值
電池
仲
電
叉電
充值咭
充電器 |
| #18 |
The Cantonese Loan Shark |
clarifying matters |
loan |
我想借一萬。
冇問題。
我係話美金。
我係話英鎊。 |
"I meant..." |
我係話美金。
"I meant US dollars." |
借
美金
英鎊
港紙
人民幣
日元
係話 |
| #19 |
No Smoking in China |
asking where to do something |
no smoking |
呢度可唔可以食煙？
唔好意思唔可以
邊度可以？
出便。 |
where |
邊度可以？
"Where can (I smoke)" |
煙
食煙
邊度
出便
入便
打火機
煙灰缸
雪茄 |
| #20 |
Telecom in Hong Kong |
not be able to do something |
no signal |
點解唔接我電話？
冇信號
點解冇信號
過緊海底隧道。
|
"do not" + (verb)
"have no" + (noun)
"have not done" + (verb) |
點解唔接我電話？
Why didn't you answer my call? |
點解
接
信號
過
隧道
海底隧道
紅磡隧道 |
| #21 |
A Cantonese Summer |
gradually changing |
hotter and hotter |
越嚟越熱!
係咩？
可唔可以開冷氣？
已經開咗。 |
"more and more" + (adj/adv) |
越嚟越熱!
"It's getting hotter and hotter." |
越嚟越
開
熄
開大
熄細
冷氣
暖氣
已經 |
| #22 |
A Cantonese Romance |
to ask for a little favor |
may i kiss you? |
我可唔可以锡下你？
唔可以。
咁攬下呢？
都唔可以。 |
verb + "marker for 'a bit'" = to have a little...
|
咁攬吓呢？
"How about a hug" |
掂
拖手
攬
摸
錫
拍拖
結婚
離婚 |
| #23 |
Changing money in Hong Kong |
foreign currency |
currency |
我想換港紙。
好。
美元匯率幾多？
一比七。 |
currency vocab review |
我想換港紙。
"I want to change to Hong Kong dollar." |
換
匯率
比
對
升值
貶值
升
跌 |
| #24 |
Because It's Cantonese |
conjunctions |
because... |
唔該電視細聲啲吖!
點解?
因為太大聲。 |
"Because"..., "therefore"... |
因為太大聲 !
Because it's too loud! |
大聲
細聲
因為
所以
音響
收音機
雪櫃
微波爐 |
| #25 |
Flying on Cathay Pacific |
rhetorical question |
thank you for your cooperation |
唔該熄手機。
唔通你睇唔到我唔得閒咩？
飛機馬上起飛。
哦，好。
多謝合作。 |
"rhetorical question mark" + (subject) + (verb) |
唔通你睇唔到我唔得閒咩？
"Can't you see I'm busy?" |
唔通
睇唔到
得閒
飛機
馬上
起飛
多謝
合作 |
