Watching Hong Kong movies is a great way to improve your Cantonese speaking comprehension.

Hi Tommy!

Great question! 🤔 When it comes to 想 (soeng2) and 要 (jiu3), both can mean "to want," but they are used in slightly different contexts. 想 (soeng2) is often used when expressing a desire or wish, like thinking about doing something. For example, 我想去旅行 (ngo5 soeng2 heoi3 leoi5 hang4) means "I want to travel."

On the other hand, 要 (jiu3) is used for more immediate needs or requirements. For example, 我要飲水 (ngo5 jiu3 jam2 seoi2) means "I need to drink water."

So, 想 (soeng2) is more for wishes or thoughts, and 要 (jiu3) is for necessities or demands. You can use either in conversations, but keep the context in mind!

Feel free to let us know if you have any questions. 😊

多謝 (do1 ze6, "Thank you")

Team CantoneseClass101.com

With previously having '要(jiu3)' for To want and now 想 (soeng2) - which would be the best to use and in what situations? Or can we use either in conversations?

Thanks

Hello Paul,

You are very welcome.😊

We're glad to have you here! ❤️

Please feel free to ask us any questions that come up.

Sincerely,

Ali

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Thank you that’s really helpful 😎

Paul

Hi Paul,

Here's a lesson on Cantonese tones: https://www.cantoneseclass101.com/lesson/pronunciation-2-the-cantonese-tones

If you ever have any questions regarding your studies, please let us know. 😊

Sincerely,

Sybil

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Just started learning Cantonese and been learning mandarin for about 4 years. The Cantonese tones seem a lot harder!

Hi Grace,

Sorry about the late reply. But you're asking a spot-on question!

No. Indeed, 兜風 dau1 fung1 merely refers to a drive that is for fun, nothing crazy. I even doubt if such word exists in the Cantonese lexicon, because here is not like the United States or parts of Europe where there are wide open flat lands everywhere. It must be difficult for Cantonese speakers to develop a word that will connote the same madness.

Let me break down this vocabulary for you.

兜 [dau1] (verb) - rotate / spin around / revolve

風 [fung1] (noun) - wind

It literally means cruise around the streets against the wind.

If we double the verb dau1, making it "dau1 dau1 fung1?", it will become a standalone phrase which means "let's go for a drive,"

Arnold

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Hi there

Could you please answer my question about dau1 fung1 (joy ride) below?

It was posted a week ago,

thanks

I have a question about the word dau1 fung1, meaning joyride.

Does this have the same wild and crazy connotations as the English use of joyride?

If the drive is just for fun or leisure, we would normally just say, 'would you like to go for a drive?'

Thanks in advance for clarifying

Hi David,

Thanks for your question. It's a little bit tricky. 😜

食飯 (sik6 faan6) = to have a meal

Given the background that it's now evening, and someone wants to ask to have dinner together, then you can say

你想唔想食飯? (nei5 soeng2 m4 soeng2 sik6 faan6) ~ Do you want to have a meal (=> implies dinner)?

It also fits for the condition of having lunch, though breakfast is the exception.

Ada

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Hello,

Maybe this transcription is wrong

你 想 唔想 食飯?

nei5 soeng2 m4 soeng2 sik6 faan6

"¿Quieres cenar?"

Because for dinner there is a specific word: 晚餐 maan5 caan1, also for lunch: 食晏 sik6 aan1 and breakfast: 早餐 zou2 caan1

Hello Vincent,

原來佢哋靜静雞喺埋咗一齊，搞地下情。

jyun4 loi4 keoi5 dei6 zing6 zing6 gai1 hai2 maai4 zo2 jat1 cai4, gaau2 dei6 haa6 cing4.

"Turns out they got together without telling anyone, and became secret lovers."

雖然係唔同種，但平原斑馬經常同細紋斑馬喺埋一齊。

seoi1 jin4 hai6 m4 tung4 zung2 , daan6 ping4 jyun4 baan1 maa5 ging1 soeng4 tung4 sai3 man4 baan1 maa5 hai2 maai4 jat1 cai4.

"Although they are of different species, Grévy's zebras are sympatric with plains zebras."

如果喺公眾地方超過50人喺埋一齊，就有可能俾警方控告非法集會。

jyu4 gwo2 hai2 gung1 zung3 dei6 fong1 ciu1 gwo3 ng5 sap6 jan4 hai2 maai4 jat1 cai4, zau6 jau5 ho2 nang4 bei2 ging2 fong1 hung3 gou3 fei1 faat3 zaap6 wui2.

"The police can press charges for unlawful assembly if more than 50 people gather together in public area."

Siuling

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Hi, in responding to Steven, you gave some sample sentences of 喺埋一齊:

原來佢哋靜静雞喺埋咗一齊，搞地下情。 "Turns out they got together without telling anyone, and became secret lovers."

雖然係唔同種，但平原斑馬經常同細紋斑馬喺埋一齊。"Although they are of different species, Grévy's zebras are sympatric with plains zebras."

如果喺公眾地方超過50人喺埋一齊，就有可能俾警方控告非法集會。"The police can press charges for unlawful assembly if more than 50 people gather together in public area."

Can you please provide the Jyutping pronunciation of the above response so that everyone else can understand how they sound and are said? Thank you!

Hi Steven,

Thank you for posting.

Let us know if you have any questions.:wink:

Cristiane

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Hi Thierry,

Thank you for your comment!

Most learners found that it's easier to learn and be able to memorize the vocabularies first, before associating it with the classifiers (measure words). We value your opinion and hope you continue to enjoy our lessons :grin:

Olivia

Team CantoneseClass101.com

i dont understand why you guys teach us this vocabulary (watch a movie etc,)

while the next lesson adds the measure words.. i think it would be easier if that would not be seperated.

Hi Stephen,

係呀，不過斑馬嗰個有部分係wikipedia嚟嘅。

希望呢啲例句幫到你理解「喺埋一齊 」嘅用途啦！

Cheers,

Olivia

Team CantoneseClass101.com

唔該！啲例句唔係你自己造嘅，係唔係？

Hi Stephen,

Before we have a lesson focusing on this term, here are some sample sentences of 喺埋一齊 for your reference, hope they are useful :smile:

原來佢哋靜静雞喺埋咗一齊，搞地下情。 "Turns out they got together without telling anyone, and became secret lovers."

雖然係唔同種，但平原斑馬經常同細紋斑馬喺埋一齊。"Although they are of different species, Grévy's zebras are sympatric with plains zebras."

如果喺公眾地方超過50人喺埋一齊，就有可能俾警方控告非法集會。"The police can press charges for unlawful assembly if more than 50 people gather together in public area."

Olivia

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Ummm, all those meanings. I was just wondering if there was a lesson with it in it so I could save it to my Flashcards.