Learn how to make suggestions
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| INTRODUCTION |
| John: Hi everyone, and welcome back to CantoneseClass101.com. This is Business Cantonese for Beginners Season 1 Lesson 18 - Making Suggestions in Cantonese. John here. |
| Siuling: 大家好！(daai6 gaa1 hou2!) I'm Siuling. |
| John: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to make suggestions. The conversation takes place at an office. |
| Siuling: It's between Mark and Linda. |
| John: The speakers are co-workers, therefore, they will speak informal Cantonese. Okay, let's listen to the conversation. |
| DIALOGUE |
| 馬家輝: 嘩，Linda，你睇起嚟好攰喎，你唔好咁搏呀！ |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: waa1, Linda, nei5 tai2 hei2 lei4 hou2 gui6 wo3, nei5 m4 hou2 gam3 bok3 aa3!) |
| 張麗珊: 講就容易，但係我有好多個項目喺手，人手唔夠，又搵唔到有市場推廣經驗嘅人幫手。 |
| (zoeng1 lai6 saan1: gong2 zau6 jung4 ji6, daan6 hai6 ngo5 jau5 hou2 do1 go3 hong6 muk6 hai2 sau2, jan4 sau2 m4 gau3, jau6 wan2 m4 dou2 jau5 si5 coeng4 teoi1 gwong2 ging1 jim6 ge3 jan4 bong1 sau2.) |
| 馬家輝: 你有冇試過搵職業通，呢間係數一數二嘅招聘公司，你可以試下。 |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: nei5 jau5 mou5 si3 gwo3 wan2 zik1 jip6 tung1, ni1 gaan1 hai6 sou2 jat1 sou2 ji6 ge3 ziu1 ping3 gung1 si1, nei5 ho2 ji3 si3 haa5.) |
| 張麗珊: 我幾乎已經試勻晒。 |
| (zoeng1 lai6 saan1: ngo5 gei2 fu4 ji5 ging1 si3 wan4 saai3.) |
| 馬家輝: 點都好，你應該唞下，冇可能咁樣做落去。 |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: dim2 dou1 hou2, nei5 jing1 goi1 tau2 haa5, mou5 ho2 nang4 gam2 joeng2 zou6 lok6 heoi3.) |
| John: Listen to the conversation one time slowly. |
| 馬家輝: 嘩，Linda，你睇起嚟好攰喎，你唔好咁搏呀！ |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: waa1, Linda, nei5 tai2 hei2 lei4 hou2 gui6 wo3, nei5 m4 hou2 gam3 bok3 aa3!) |
| 張麗珊: 講就容易，但係我有好多個項目喺手，人手唔夠，又搵唔到有市場推廣經驗嘅人幫手。 |
| (zoeng1 lai6 saan1: gong2 zau6 jung4 ji6, daan6 hai6 ngo5 jau5 hou2 do1 go3 hong6 muk6 hai2 sau2, jan4 sau2 m4 gau3, jau6 wan2 m4 dou2 jau5 si5 coeng4 teoi1 gwong2 ging1 jim6 ge3 jan4 bong1 sau2.) |
| 馬家輝: 你有冇試過搵職業通，呢間係數一數二嘅招聘公司，你可以試下。 |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: nei5 jau5 mou5 si3 gwo3 wan2 zik1 jip6 tung1, ni1 gaan1 hai6 sou2 jat1 sou2 ji6 ge3 ziu1 ping3 gung1 si1, nei5 ho2 ji3 si3 haa5.) |
| 張麗珊: 我幾乎已經試勻晒。 |
| (zoeng1 lai6 saan1: ngo5 gei2 fu4 ji5 ging1 si3 wan4 saai3.) |
| 馬家輝: 點都好，你應該唞下，冇可能咁樣做落去。 |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: dim2 dou1 hou2, nei5 jing1 goi1 tau2 haa5, mou5 ho2 nang4 gam2 joeng2 zou6 lok6 heoi3.) |
| John: Listen to the conversation with the English translation. |
| 馬家輝: 嘩，Linda，你睇起嚟好攰喎，你唔好咁搏呀！ |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: waa1, Linda, nei5 tai2 hei2 lei4 hou2 gui6 wo3, nei5 m4 hou2 gam3 bok3 aa3!) |
| Mark: Oh, Linda, you look very tired. You shouldn't work too hard. |
| 張麗珊: 講就容易，但係我有好多個項目喺手，人手唔夠，又搵唔到有市場推廣經驗嘅人幫手。 |
| (zoeng1 lai6 saan1: gong2 zau6 jung4 ji6, daan6 hai6 ngo5 jau5 hou2 do1 go3 hong6 muk6 hai2 sau2, jan4 sau2 m4 gau3, jau6 wan2 m4 dou2 jau5 si5 coeng4 teoi1 gwong2 ging1 jim6 ge3 jan4 bong1 sau2.) |
| Linda: It's easy to say, but I have many projects. And we are also understaffed. We can't find experienced marketing people to work for us. |
| 馬家輝: 你有冇試過搵職業通，呢間係數一數二嘅招聘公司，你可以試下。 |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: nei5 jau5 mou5 si3 gwo3 wan2 zik1 jip6 tung1, ni1 gaan1 hai6 sou2 jat1 sou2 ji6 ge3 ziu1 ping3 gung1 si1, nei5 ho2 ji3 si3 haa5.) |
| Mark: Have you tried WorkJob? It is supposed to be one of the best staffing companies. Maybe you should try there? |
| 張麗珊: 我幾乎已經試勻晒。 |
| (zoeng1 lai6 saan1: ngo5 gei2 fu4 ji5 ging1 si3 wan4 saai3.) |
| Linda: I tried almost everything already. |
| 馬家輝: 點都好，你應該唞下，冇可能咁樣做落去。 |
| (maa5 gaa1 fai1: dim2 dou1 hou2, nei5 jing1 goi1 tau2 haa5, mou5 ho2 nang4 gam2 joeng2 zou6 lok6 heoi3.) |
| Mark: In any case, you need to rest a little bit. You can't work like this forever. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| John: I hope Linda is able to get through her projects without becoming too tired. |
| Siuling: I hope so too! Or at least she can get some more staff to help. |
| John: Where can you find work in Hong Kong? Where is the best place to look? |
| Siuling: For entry level jobs, you can try online classifieds such as JobsDB and Career Times. |
| John: What about if you’re a graduate? |
| Siuling: Graduate training programs are advertised on the websites of the companies, so have a look around. |
| John: A lot of ex-patriates go to Hong Kong with experience of management, don’t they? |
| Siuling: They do. There are many agencies that have these types of jobs. |
| John: If you have Chinese language skills, you should try Gemini Personnel Limited. |
| Siuling: Good idea. If you’re interested in the educational sector, they also look for foreign staff. |
| John: The international schools in Hong Kong often advertise on their websites. |
| Siuling: The Hong Kong government has a plan to recruit native English speakers to teach English in Hong Kong, too. |
| John: Okay, now onto the vocab. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| John: Let’s take a look at the vocabulary from this lesson. The first word is... |
| Siuling: 攰(gui6) [natural native speed] |
| John: tired |
| Siuling: 攰(gui6) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 攰(gui6) [natural native speed] |
| John: Next we have... |
| Siuling: 容易(jung4 ji6) [natural native speed] |
| John: easy |
| Siuling: 容易(jung4 ji6) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 容易(jung4 ji6) [natural native speed] |
| John: Next we have... |
| Siuling: 項目(hong6 muk6) [natural native speed] |
| John: project |
| Siuling: 項目(hong6 muk6) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 項目(hong6 muk6) [natural native speed] |
| John: Next we have... |
| Siuling: 喺手(hai2 sau2) [natural native speed] |
| John: at hand; on hand |
| Siuling: 喺手(hai2 sau2) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 喺手(hai2 sau2) [natural native speed] |
| John: Next we have... |
| Siuling: 人手(jan4 sau2) [natural native speed] |
| John: manpower |
| Siuling: 人手(jan4 sau2) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 人手(jan4 sau2) [natural native speed] |
| John: Next we have... |
| Siuling: 經驗(ging1 jim6) [natural native speed] |
| John: experience |
| Siuling: 經驗(ging1 jim6) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 經驗(ging1 jim6) [natural native speed] |
| John: Next we have... |
| Siuling: 數一數二(sou2 jat1 sou2 ji6) [natural native speed] |
| John: one of the best |
| Siuling: 數一數二(sou2 jat1 sou2 ji6) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 數一數二(sou2 jat1 sou2 ji6) [natural native speed] |
| John: Next we have... |
| Siuling: 招聘(ziu1 ping3) [natural native speed] |
| John: recruit |
| Siuling: 招聘(ziu1 ping3) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 招聘(ziu1 ping3) [natural native speed] |
| John: Next we have... |
| Siuling: 幾乎(gei1 fu4) [natural native speed] |
| John: almost |
| Siuling: 幾乎(gei1 fu4) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 幾乎(gei1 fu4) [natural native speed] |
| John: And last... |
| Siuling: 試勻 [natural native speed] |
| John: to try all |
| Siuling: 試勻 [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Siuling: 試勻 [natural native speed] |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES |
| John: Let's have a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. The first word is... |
| Siuling: 你睇起嚟好攰。(nei5 tai2 hei2 lei4 hou2 gui6) |
| John: meaning "you look very tired". |
| John: Siuling, what can you tell us about this? |
| Siuling: First is 你(nei5), meaning "you." Next is 睇起嚟(tai2 hei2 lei4). |
| John: This means "seem, look like." The last part means "very tired." |
| Siuling: That’s 好攰(hou2 gui6). |
| John: You can say this to someone if they look very tired. |
| Siuling: 睇起嚟(tai2 hei2 lei4) is the spoken form. In writing, it is 看起來(hon3 hei2 loi4). |
| John: Can you give us an example using this phrase? |
| Siuling: Sure. For example, you can say... 你睇起嚟好攰, 不如早啲休息啦！(nei5 tai2 hei2 lei4 hou2 gui6, bat1 jyu4 zou2 di1 jau1 sik1 laa1!) |
| John: ... which means "You look so tired, how about going to bed earlier?" |
| John: Okay, what's the next word? |
| Siuling: 已經試勻晒。(ji5 ging1 si3 wan4 saai3) |
| John: meaning "to have already tried every method". |
| John: What can you tell us about this? |
| Siuling: First is 已經(ji5 ging1), which means "already." Next is 試(si3). |
| John: This means "try." Next is "equal, evenly distributed." |
| Siuling: That is 勻(wan4). The last part is 晒(saai3). |
| John: This is "entirely." You can use this phrase to tell someone that you’ve already done all that you can. |
| Siuling: Besides 試勻晒(si3 wan4 saai3), you can also say 試過晒(si3 gwo3 saai3). |
| John: Can you give us an example using this phrase? |
| Siuling: Sure. For example, you can say... 已經試勻晒所有方法, 都係救唔返。(ji5 ging1 si3 wan4 saai3 so2 jau5 fong1 faat3, dou1 hai6 gau3 m4 faan1.) |
| John: ... which means "We have tried all the methods, but still we could not save her." |
| John: Okay, now onto the lesson focus. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| John: In this lesson, you'll learn about telling others to take a rest. |
| John: An important word for this is "should." |
| Siuling: In Cantonese, this is 應該 (jing1 goi1). It can also mean "ought to" and "need to". |
| John: It serves as an auxiliary verb to make a strong suggestion. |
| Siuling: You can put 唔 (m4) in front to make "should not". |
| John: Let’s hear an example sentence with this. |
| Siuling: 你應該唞下。(nei5 jing1 goi1 tau2 haa5.) |
| John: "You need to rest a little bit." There are other words you can use, too. |
| Siuling: Yes, such as 可以 (ho2 ji3). |
| John: "should". |
| Siuling: And 唔好 (m4 hou2). |
| John: "should not". You have to use this as "should not," you can’t change it to "should." |
| Siuling: Yes, you can’t take away 唔 (m4). |
| John: Let’s hear some more example sentences. |
| Siuling: 你應該珍惜今次呢個機會去表現自己。(nei5 jing1 goi1 zan1 sik1 gam1 ci3 ni1 go3 gei1 wui6 heoi3 biu2 jin6 zi6 gei2.) |
| John: "You should take this opportunity to express yourself." |
| Siuling: 你唔可以因為懶而唔返工，太唔負責任喇。(nei5 m4 ho2 ji3 jan1 wai6 laan5 ji4 m4 faan1 gung1, taai3 m4 fu6 zaak3 jam6 laa3.) |
| John: "You should not miss work because of laziness, this is too irresponsible." |
| Siuling: 唔好成日OT到十點喇，你身體遲早頂唔住㗎。(m4 hou2 sing4 jat6 OT dou3 sap6 dim2 laa3, nei5 san1 tai2 ci4 zou2 ding2 m4 zyu6 gaa3.) |
| John: "You should not always work overtime until 10; it can take a toll on your health." |
| Siuling: 西醫治標唔治本，你可以試下睇中醫。(sai1 ji1 zi6 biu1 m4 zi6 bun2, nei5 ho2 ji3 si3 haa5 tai2 zung1 ji1.) |
| John: "Western doctors treat the symptom but don't fix the root cause; maybe you should try traditional Chinese doctors." |
Outro |
| John: Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thank you for listening, everyone, and we’ll see you next time! Bye! |
| Siuling: 拜拜！(baai1 baai3!) |
Comments
Hide