Learn how to use the verb 轉, meaning "to change"
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| INTRODUCTION |
| David: Welcome to cantoneseclass101.com. I am David. |
| Melody: 又同大家見面啦！我係 (jau6 tung4 daai6 gaa1 gin3 min6 laa3 ！ngo5 hai6)Melody。 |
| David: And today we have intermediate season 1, Lesson 3. A Chinese Boss with a Hidden Agenda. |
| Melody:呢個對話應該係發生喺公司入面，幾個同事討論緊老板突然之間話要請客，實冇好事啦！(ni1 go3 deoi3 waa6 jing3 goi1 hai6 faat3 sang1 hai2 gung1 si1 jap6 min6 ，gei2 go3 tung4 si6 tou2 leon6 gan2 lou5 baan2 dat6 jin4 zi1 gaan1 waa6 jiu3 ceng2 haak3 ，sat6 mou5 hou2 si6 laa1 ！) |
| David: Right and Hong Kong has a really corporate work culture. So you will have to deal with this when you are on the island. |
| Melody: 如果比老板聽到佢哋嘅對話, 我諗第一件事就係炒咗佢哋。(jyu4 gwo2 bei2 lou5 baan2 teng1 dou3 keoi5 dei6 ge3 deoi3 waa6 , ngo5 lam2 dai6 jat1 gin6 si6 zau6 hai6 caau2 zo2 keoi5 dei6 。) |
| David: I don’t know about that, maybe in smaller companies. In bigger companies, Hong Kong companies are actually really professional. But anyway, we are going to let you be the judge of how professional this boss’s behavior is. |
| Melody: 冇問題，不如我哋而家聽下佢哋究竟講緊啲咩嘢吖 ！(mou5 man6 tai4 ，bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 ji4 gaa1 teng1 haa5 keoi5 dei6 gau3 ging2 gong2 gan2 di1 me1 je5 aa1 ！) |
| DIALOGUE |
| A: 今晚老細請食飯。(A: gam1 maan5 lou5 sai3 ceng2 sik6 faan6.) |
| B: 吓，佢轉死性啊？(B: haa5, keoi5 zyun3 sei2 sing3 aa4 ?) |
| C: 我都覺得奇怪。(C: ngo5 dou1 gok3 dak1 kei4 gwaai3.) |
| A: 聽講佢有嘢同全公司宣佈。(A: teng1 gong2 keoi3 jau5 je2 tung4 cyun4 gung1 si1 syun1 bou3.) |
| C: 有冇收到咩料？(C: jau5 mou5 sau1 dou3 me1 liu2 ?) |
| B: 會唔會係要炒人？(B: wui5 m4 wui5 hai6 jiu3 caau2 jan4 ?) |
| A: 係呀，公司要裁員！(A: hai6 aa3, gung1 si1 jiu3 coi4 jyun4 !) |
| David: Once more, a bit slower. |
| A: 今晚老細請食飯。(A: gam1 maan5 lou5 sai3 ceng2 sik6 faan6.) |
| B: 吓，佢轉死性啊？(B: haa5, keoi5 zyun3 sei2 sing3 aa4 ?) |
| C: 我都覺得奇怪。(C: ngo5 dou1 gok3 dak1 kei4 gwaai3.) |
| A: 聽講佢有嘢同全公司宣佈。(A: teng1 gong2 keoi3 jau5 je2 tung4 cyun4 gung1 si1 syun1 bou3.) |
| C: 有冇收到咩料？(C: jau5 mou5 sau1 dou3 me1 liu2 ?) |
| B: 會唔會係要炒人？(B: wui5 m4 wui5 hai6 jiu3 caau2 jan4 ?) |
| A: 係呀，公司要裁員！(A: hai6 aa3, gung1 si1 jiu3 coi4 jyun4 !) |
| David: And now, with the English translation. |
| A: 今晚老細請食飯。(A: gam1 maan5 lou5 sai3 ceng2 sik6 faan6.) |
| A: The boss is going to buy us dinner tonight. |
| B: 吓，佢轉死性啊？(B: haa5, keoi5 zyun3 sei2 sing3 aa4 ?) |
| B: What? Has he changed? |
| C: 我都覺得奇怪。(C: ngo5 dou1 gok3 dak1 kei4 gwaai3.) |
| C: I think it's strange too. |
| A: 聽講佢有嘢同全公司宣佈。(A: teng1 gong2 keoi3 jau5 je2 tung4 cyun4 gung1 si1 syun1 bou3.) |
| A: I was told he has some news to announce. |
| C: 有冇收到咩料？(C: jau5 mou5 sau1 dou3 me1 liu2 ?) |
| C: Anyone know what it is? |
| B: 會唔會係要炒人？(B: wui5 m4 wui5 hai6 jiu3 caau2 jan4 ?) |
| B: Is he going to fire someone? |
| A: 係呀，公司要裁員！(A: hai6 aa3, gung1 si1 jiu3 coi4 jyun4 !) |
| A: Yes, there will be layoffs. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Melody: David, 如果有一日呢你老板話要請你食飯，你會唔會覺得係件好事呢定係件壞事？(jyu4 gwo2 jau5 jat1 jat6 ne1 nei5 lou5 baan2 waa6 jiu3 ceng2 nei5 sik6 faan6 ，nei5 wui2 m4 wui2 gok3 dak1 hai6 gin6 hou2 si6 ne1 ding6 hai6 gin6 waai6 si6 ？) |
| David: Ah I think it depends on where you go for dinner and how many people because it could be a promotion too. |
| Melody: Uhoo… |
| David: Right. |
| Melody:但係可能佢哋間公司老板平時太孤寒啦！所以一時之間話要請大家食飯呢， 佢哋都好驚訝。(daan6 hai6 ho2 nang4 keoi5 dei6 gaan1 gung1 si1 lou5 baan2 ping4 si4 taai3 gu1 hon4 laa3 ！so2 ji5 jat1 si4 zi1 gaan1 waa6 jiu3 ceng2 daai6 gaa1 sik6 faan6 ne1 ， keoi5 dei6 dou1 hou2 ging1 ngaa2 。) |
| David: Anyway, I hope none of our listeners are in the bad kind of company. They take you out for dinner and then they fire you. |
| Melody: 咁就慘啦！( gam3 zau6 caam2 laa1 ！) |
| David: But yeah we’ve got vocab today which is all about breaking habits, changing as well as letting people go. So let’s get to that. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Melody: 老細。 (lou5 sai3。) |
| David: Boss. |
| Melody: 老 細 , 老細 , 轉死性。(lou5 sai3, lou5 sai3, zyun3 sei2 sing3。) |
| David: To break a bad habit. |
| Melody: 轉 死 性, 轉死性, 死性不改。 (zyun3 sei2 sing3, zyun3 sei2 sing3 ,sei1 sing3 bat1 goi2。 ) |
| David: To be set in one’s ways. |
| Melody: 死 性 不 改 , 死性不改 , 聽講。(sei1 sing3 bat1 goi2, sei1 sing3 bat1 goi2, teng1 gong2。) |
| David: To have heard. |
| Melody: 聽 講, 聽講, 有嘢。(teng1 gong2, teng1 gong2, jau5 je2。) |
| David: To have something. |
| Melody: 有 嘢, 有嘢, 宣佈。(jau5 je2, jau5 je2, syun1 bou3。) |
| David: To announce. |
| Melody: 宣 佈, 宣佈, 收到料。(syun1 bou3, syun1 bou3, sau1 dou2 liu2。) |
| David: To know. |
| Melody: 收 到 料, 收到料, 炒人。(sau1 dou2 liu2,sau1 dou2 liu2, caau2 jan4。) |
| David: To fire someone. |
| Melody: 炒 人, 炒人, 裁員。(caau2 jan4, caau2 jan4, coi4 jyun4。) |
| David: Layoffs. |
| Melody: 裁 員, 裁員。(coi4 jyun4, coi4 jyun4。) |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| David: Let’s take a closer look at some of these words and phrases. Our first word is |
| Melody: 轉死性。(zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
| David: To break a bad habit. |
| Melody: 轉死性。(zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
| David: And it isn’t necessarily a bad habit. It means you know, to stop being so stuck in your ways. |
| Melody:冇錯。(mou5 co3 。) |
| David: Kind of to stop being obstinate. |
| Melody: 轉死性, 相反如果我哋係話一路都改唔到一個壞習慣, 就叫做 死性不改。(zyun3 sei2 sing3 , soeng1 faan2 jyu4 gwo2 ngo5 dei6 hai6 waa6 jat1 lou6 dou1 goi2 m4 dou2 jat1 go3 waai6 zaap6 gwaan3 , zau6 giu3 zou6 sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: So this is the opposite. |
| Melody: 死性不改。(sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: Which means you are set in your ways and you can’t change. |
| Melody: 係呀！(hai6 aa3 ！) |
| David: Right. |
| Melody: 死性不改。(sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: Yeah. So in the dialogue, the boss changed his ways and invited people out for dinner. |
| Melody: 係呀！佢轉死性。(hai6 aa3 ！keoi5 zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
| David: Yeah. So we know that normally he doesn’t do this. |
| Melody: 冇錯, 有陣時我哋亦都可以話 話極你都唔聽，死性不改。(mou5 co3 , jau5 zan6 si4 ngo5 dei6 jik6 dou1 ho2 ji5 waa6 waa6 gik6 nei5 dou1 m4 teng1 ，sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: Right. You might hear this with a partner and they say, why don’t you ever listen to me, you are so set in your ways. |
| Melody: 或者媽咪同個細路仔講, 話極你都唔聽，死性不改。(waak6 ze2 maa1 mi6 tung4 go3 sai3 lou6 zai2 gong2 , waa6 gik6 nei5 dou1 m4 teng1 ，sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: Yeah. Why don’t you ever listen? You don’t change. |
| Melody: 所以我哋有兩個關於壞習慣嘅詞, 如果改咗就叫 轉死性。(so2 ji5 ngo5 dei6 jau5 loeng5 go3 gwaan1 jyu1 waai6 zaap6 gwaan3 ge3 ci4 , jyu4 gwo2 goi2 zo2 zau6 giu3 zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
| David: So that’s if you can change. |
| Melody: 轉死性。(zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
| David: Right and if you can’t change, that’s |
| Melody: 死性不改。(sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: We have two words in our dialogue that are related to hearing things and knowing them. |
| Melody: 聽講 。(teng1 gong2 。) |
| David: To have heard. |
| Melody: 聽講 。(teng1 gong2 。) |
| David :And |
| Melody: 收到料。(sau1 dou2 liu2 。) |
| David: Which is really to have received news, to have got information. |
| Melody: 係呀！冇錯，收到料。 (hai6 aa1 ！mou5 co3 ，sau1 dou2 liu2 。) |
| David: Yeah. So these are essentially the same thing. |
| Melody: 聽講 同埋 收到料。(teng1 gong2 tung4 maai4 sau1 dou2 liu2 。) |
| David: Yeah. You can use these when you are talking about rumors or information that maybe not be perfectly accurate. |
| Melody: 係，當你唔肯定嗰陣時。(hai6, dong1 nei5 m4 hang2 ding6 go2 zan6 si4 。) |
| David: Yes. Office gossip. So you might be in the office and you might hear someone say, hey, it’s said the boss fired him because he is set in his ways. |
| Melody: 聽講老板炒咗佢， 因為佢死性不改。(teng1 gong2 lou5 baan2 caau2 zo2 keoi5 ， jan1 wai6 keoi5 sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: Yeah I hear the boss fired him because he couldn’t change. |
| Melody: 聽講老板炒咗佢， 因為佢死性不改。(teng1 gong2 lou5 baan2 caau2 zo2 keoi5 ， jan1 wai6 keoi5 sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: Right or maybe in other kind of gossip, I heard he stopped coming late. So the boss didn’t fire him. |
| Melody: 聽講佢轉死性冇再遲到，所以老板唔炒佢。(teng1 gong2 keoi5 zyun3 sei2 sing3 mou5 zoi3 ci4 dou3 ，so2 ji5 lou5 baan2 m4 caau2 keoi5 。) |
| David: Right. And we can replace that with |
| Melody: 我收到料，佢轉死性, 冇再遲到，所以老板話唔炒佢。(ngo5 sau1 dou2 liu2 ，keoi5 zyun3 sei2 sing3 , mou5 zoi3 ci4 dou3 ，so2 ji5 lou5 baan2 waa6 m4 caau2 keoi5 。) |
| David: Right. So both of those verbs essentially mean the same thing. I’ve heard or I’ve got information that. |
| Melody: 係呀！ 佢哋係一樣㗎！(hai6 aa3 ！ keoi5 dei6 hai6 jat1 joeng6 gaa3 ！) |
| David: Okay Melody, there are two more words you wanted to touch on. |
| Melody: 係呀！咁第一個係 有嘢。(hai6 aa3 ！gam3 dai6 jat1 go3 hai6 jau5 je5 。) |
| David: To have something. |
| Melody: 有嘢，譬如聽講老細有嘢要宣佈。(jau5 je5 ，pei3 jyu4 teng1 gong2 lou5 sai3 jau5 je5 jiu3 syun1 bou3 。) |
| David: I hear the boss has something to announce. |
| Melody: 第二個詞係 宣佈。(dai6 ji6 go3 ci4 hai6 syun1 bou3 。) |
| David: Right which is in that sentence too and it means to announce. |
| Melody: 宣佈, 聽講老細有嘢要宣佈。(syun1 bou3 , teng1 gong2 lou5 sai3 jau5 je5 jiu3 syun1 bou3 。) |
| David: Right. Now this last one is a bit of a formal word but you are going to hear it a lot in companies especially with announcements. |
| Melody: 通常公司會有嘢要宣佈，就會用到呢個詞。(tung1 soeng4 gung1 si1 wui2 jau5 je5 jiu3 syun1 bou3 ，zau6 wui2 jung6 dou3 ni1 go3 ci4 。) |
| David: Yeah. So a quick review. We have some more formal corporate words in here but the really important phrases are those first two. |
| Melody: 轉死性。(zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
| David: To change your ways or to break a bad habit. |
| Melody: 轉死性。(zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
| David: And the opposite |
| Melody: 死性不改。(sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: To be set in one’s ways. |
| Melody: 死性不改。(sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: And a reminder, these are always bad. So it’s not good habits. It’s always something wrong. |
| Melody: 係呀！希望你哋會話轉死性, 而唔係話死性不改。(hai6 aa3 ！hei1 mong6 nei5 dei6 wui2 waa6 zyun3 sei2 sing3 , ji4 m4 hai6 waa6 sei2 sing3 bat1 goi2 。) |
| David: Yeah. Anyway that’s our vocab section for today. Let’s get on to the grammar section. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| David: Our grammar section today is about this tricky little verb. |
| Melody: 轉。(zyun3 。) |
| David: To change. |
| Melody:轉。(zyun3 。) |
| David: In the dialogue, we have people changing jobs. |
| Melody: 轉工作。(zyun3 gung1 zok3 。) |
| David: And we have a strange boss who is changing his behavior. |
| Melody: 轉死性。(zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
| David: So he used to be really selfish. He is not the kind of person to take you to dinner. |
| Melody: Yeah 係呀！但係佢轉死性, 所以佢請同事食飯。(hai6 aa3 ！daan6 hai6 keoi5 zyun3 sei2 sing3 , so2 ji5 keoi5 ceng2 tung4 si6 sik6 faan6 。) |
| David: Right. So these are two usages of |
| Melody: 轉。(zyun3 。) |
| David: And it tells us that we can use this for concrete things like jobs but also more abstract changes like changes in your personality. |
| Melody: 唔，都可以咁講，譬如我平時衣着比較保守，突然間轉型像，轉型像。(m4 ，dou1 ho2 ji5 gam3 gong2 ，pei3 jyu4 ngo5 ping4 si4 ji1 zoek3 bei2 gaau3 bou2 sau2 ，dat6 jin4 gaan1 zyun3 jing4 zoeng6 ，zyun3 jing4 zoeng6 。) |
| David: To change your image. |
| Melody:轉型像。(zyun3 jing4 zoeng6 。) |
| David: So that’s abstract. We could also change a channel. |
| Melody: 轉台。(zyun3 toi4 。) |
| David: Maybe on a television station. |
| Melody: 幫我轉個台呀！(bong1 ngo5 zyun3 go3 toi4 aa1 ！) |
| David: Yeah. Can you help me change the channel? I don’t want to watch this and that applies for a radio as well. |
| Melody: 幫我轉個台, 呢台音樂好難聽。(bong1 ngo5 zyun3 go3 toi4 , ni1 toi4 jam1 ngok6 hou2 naan4 teng1 。) |
| David: Yeah. I don’t want to listen to it. Put on – put on the sports. |
| Melody: 冇錯。(mou5 co3 。) |
| David: So those are relatively concrete. Another concrete one is, when someone turns around, that’s a change as well. |
| Melody: 轉個身。(zyun3 go3 san1 。) |
| David: To turn around. |
| Melody: 轉個身, 譬如你話去shopping，你轉個身比我睇下。(zyun3 go3 san1 , pei3 jyu4 nei5 waa6 heoi3 shopping ，nei5 zyun3 go3 san1 bei2 ngo5 tai2 haa5 。) |
| David: Yeah. Will you turn around so I can take a look at it? |
| Melody: Shopping 嗰陣時通常會咁講。(go2 zan6 si4 tung1 soeng4 wui2 gam3 gong2 。) |
| David: Yeah it’s a group activity. So remember |
| Melody: 轉。(zyun3 。) |
| David: Is a complex verb. We can use it for concrete things like |
| Melody: 轉台。(zyun3 toi4 。) |
| David: Or more abstract things like personal habits. |
| Melody: 轉死性。(zyun3 sei2 sing3 。) |
Outro |
| David: Okay. So that’s our lesson for today. I am David. |
| Melody: 我係 (ngo5 hai6) Melody。 |
| David: Thanks a lot for listening and we will see you on the site. |
| Melody: 希望我哋下次可以再見。(hei1 mong6 ngo5 dei6 haa6 ci3 ho2 ji5 zoi3 gin3 。) |
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