Dialogue

Vocabulary (Review)

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Echo: Welcome to cantoneseclass101.com. I am Echo.
Oscar: 大家好, 我係Oscar. (daai6 gaa1 hou2 , ngo5 hai6 Oscar.)
Echo: And we are here today with lower intermediate, season 1, Lesson 4. Have You Been Made a Fool of in China?
Oscar: 你有冇俾人搵過笨呀? (nei5 jau5 mou5 bei2 jan4 wan2 gwo3 ban6 aa3?)
Echo: Right. You should be careful when you are shopping.
Oscar: 買嘢嗰陣,好容易俾人呃㗎。 (maai5 je5 go2 zan6, hou2 jung4 ji6 bei2 jan4 ngaak1 gaa3.)
Echo: Some stores try to take advantage of people which is why we have a lesson all about how you can avoid it. In our dialogue, we are going to hear conversation between two friends talking about shopping in Hong Kong.
Oscar: 我哋而家去聽下啦! (ngo5 dei6 ji4 gaa1 heoi3 teng1 haa5 laa1!)
DIALOGUE
A: 喺私人鋪頭買嘢要小心!(A: hai2 si1 jan4 pou1 tau4 maai5 je5 jiu3 siu2 sam1!)
B: 佢哋揾過你笨? (B: keoi5 dei6 wan2 gwo3 nei5 ban6?)
A: 我上次俾人呃咗幾千蚊。 (A: ngo5 seong6 ci3 bei2 jan4 ngaak1 zo2 gei2 cin1 man1.)
B: 咁大貪?有冇搞錯!(B: gam3 daai6 taam1? jau5 mou5 gaau2 co3 aa3!)
A: 咪係囉!激死我。 (A: mai6 hai6 lo1! gik1 sei2 ngo5.)
David: One more time, a bit slower.
A: 喺私人鋪頭買嘢要小心!(A: hai2 si1 jan4 pou1 tau4 maai5 je5 jiu3 siu2 sam1!)
B: 佢哋揾過你笨? (B: keoi5 dei6 wan2 gwo3 nei5 ban6?)
A: 我上次俾人呃咗幾千蚊。 (A: ngo5 seong6 ci3 bei2 jan4 ngaak1 zo2 gei2 cin1 man1.)
B: 咁大貪?有冇搞錯! (B: gam3 daai6 taam1? jau5 mou5 gaau2 co3 aa3!)
A: 咪係囉!激死我。 (A: mai6 hai6 lo1! gik1 sei2 ngo5.)
David: And now with the English translation.
A: 喺私人鋪頭買嘢要小心!(A: hai2 si1 jan4 pou1 tau4 maai5 je5 jiu3 siu2 sam1!)
A: Be careful if you're shopping in private shops.
B: 佢哋揾過你笨? (B: keoi5 dei6 wan2 gwo3 nei5 ban6?)
B: Did someone cheat you?
A: 我上次俾人呃咗幾千蚊。 (A: ngo5 seong6 ci3 bei2 jan4 ngaak1 zo2 gei2 cin1 man1.)
A: I was taken for several thousand dollars last time.
B: 咁大貪?有冇搞錯! (B: gam3 daai6 taam1? jau5 mou5 gaau2 co3 aa3!)
B: That much? Were they crazy?
A: 咪係囉!激死我。 (A: mai6 hai6 lo1! gik1 sei2 ngo5.)
A: You bet! It really got me angry.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Echo: So Oscar, have you ever been cheated while shopping?
Oscar: 梗冇啦! 我咁醒. (gang2 mou5 laa1 ! ngo5 gam3 sing2.)
Echo: Umm maybe you just don’t know. In any case, our vocabulary today is all about shopping.
VOCAB LIST
Oscar: 我哋經常都會用到, 而家去聽下。(ngo5 dei6 ging1 soeng4 dou1 wui2 jung6 dou3, ji4 gaa1 heoi3 teng1 haa5.)
Oscar: 私人 (si1 jan4)
Echo: Private.
Oscar: 私 人, 私人。舖頭 (si1 jan4, si1 jan4. pou3 tau2)
Echo: Shop.
Oscar: 舖 頭, 舖頭。呃 (pou3 tau2, pou3 tau2. ngaak1)
Echo: To cheat.
Oscar: 呃,呃。大貪 (ngaak1, ngaak1. daai6 taam1)
Echo: Greedy.
Oscar: 大 貪, 大貪。有冇攪錯 (daai6 taam1, daai6 taam1. jau5 mou5 gaau2 co3)
Echo: Is there a mistake?
Oscar: 有 冇 攪 錯, 有冇攪錯。激 (jau5 mou5 gaau2 co3, jau5 mou5 gaau2 co3. gik1)
Echo: To anger.
Oscar: 激, 激。搵笨 (gik1, gik1. wan2 ban6)
Echo: To take advantage of someone.
Oscar: 搵 笨, 搵笨 (wan2 ban6, wan2 ban6)
VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE
Echo: Let’s have a closer look at some of the words from this lesson. The first word is
Oscar: 私人 (si1 jan4)
Echo: Private
Oscar: 私人 (si1 jan4)
Echo: As in private shop.
Oscar: 私人舖頭 (si1 jan4 pou3 tau2)
Echo: Private shop.
Oscar: 私 人 舖 頭 (si1 jan4 pou3 tau4)
Echo: In Hong Kong, there are ton of places to buy things.
Oscar: 我好鍾意香港嘅私人舖頭。(ngo5 hou2 zung1 ji3 hoeng1 gong2 ge3 si1 jan4 pou3 tau2.)
Echo: Yeah I really like the private stores too.
Oscar: 我好鍾意香港嘅私人舖頭。 (ngo5 hou2 zung1 ji3 hoeng1 gong2 ge3 si1 jan4 pou3 tau2.)
Echo: And that means, I really like private shops in Hong Kong. Our next word is
Oscar: 呃 (ngaak1)
Echo: To cheat.
Oscar: 呃 (ngaak1)
Echo: And you have to be careful because some shops might cheat you.
Oscar: 佢哋可能呃你。 (keoi5 dei6 ho2 nang4 ngaak1 nei5.)
Echo: They might cheat you.
Oscar: 佢哋可能呃你。 (keoi5 dei6 ho2 nang4 ngaak1 nei5.)
Echo: We have another word that means much the same.
Oscar: 搵笨 (wan2 ban6)
Echo: To take advantage of.
Oscar: 搵笨 (wan2 ban6)
Echo: To take advantage of.
Oscar: 小心俾人搵笨 (siu2 sam1 bei2 jan4 wan2 ban6)
Echo: Be careful not to be cheated.
Oscar: 小心俾人搵笨 (siu2 sam1 bei2 jan4 wan2 ban6)
Echo: Literally it should be, be careful to be cheated.
Oscar: 俾人搵笨, 激到我好嬲. (bei2 jan4 wan2 ban6 , gik1 dou3 ngo5 hou2 nau1.)
Echo: Exactly, and that’s actually one of the words in our dialogue too.
Oscar: 激 (gik1)
Echo: To anger.
Oscar: 激 (gik1)
Echo: So if you cheat me, you will anger me.
Oscar: 如果你呃我, 你會激嬲我. (jyu4 gwo2 nei5 ngaak1 ngo5 , nei5 wui2 gik1 nau1 ngo5.)
Echo: So if you cheat me, you will anger me.
Oscar: 如果你呃我, 你會激嬲我. (jyu4 gwo2 nei5 ngaak1 ngo5 , nei5 wui2 gik1 nau1 ngo5.)
Echo: Right. To review, in this lesson, we learned
Oscar: 私人, 呃, 搵笨, 激。 (si1 jan4 , ngaak1 , wan2 ban6 , gik1.)
Echo: Right and that’s all for our vocabulary today. Let’s move on to grammar point.

Lesson focus

Oscar: It’s grammar time.
Echo: In our vocabulary section, we taught you this word.
Oscar: 搵笨 (wan2 ban6)
Echo: To take advantage of.
Oscar: 搵笨 (wan2 ban6)
Echo: To take advantage of.
Oscar: 你可以話, 我尋日俾人搵笨。 (nei5 ho2 ji3 waa6, ngo5 cam4 jat6 bei2 jan4 wan2 ban6.)
Echo: I was tricked yesterday.
Oscar: 我尋日俾人搵笨。 (ngo5 cam4 jat6 bei2 jan4 wan2 ban6.)
Echo: But what if you want to say who like someone took advantage of me.
Oscar: 搵我笨。 (wan2 ngo5 ban6.)
Echo: Right take advantage of me.
Oscar: 搵我笨。 (wan2 ngo5 ban6.)
Echo: To take advantage of me.
Oscar: 搵我笨。 (wan2 ngo5 ban6.)
Echo: So we are splitting things up.
Oscar: 搵 我 笨 (wan2 ngo5 ban6.)
Echo: And putting the person who’s cheated right in the middle.
Oscar: 搵 人 笨 (wan2 jan4 ban6)
Echo: Make fool of other people.
Oscar: 你可以喺中間加任何人 (nei5 ho2 ji3 hai2 zung1 gaan1 gaa1 jam6 ho4 jan4)
Echo: Right. It could be a person like Brad Pitt.
Oscar: 搵 (wan2) Brad Pitt 笨. (ban6.)
Echo: Right. To make a fool of Brad Pitt.
Oscar: 搵 (wan2) Brad Pitt 笨. (ban6.)
Echo: What about my boss?
Oscar: 搵 我老細 笨. (wan2 ngo5 lou5 sai3 ban6.)
Echo: His coworker.
Oscar: 搵 佢同事 笨. (wan2 keoi5 tung4 si6 ban6.)
Echo: Your wife
Oscar: 搵 你老婆 笨. (wan2 nei5 lou5 po4 ban6.)
Echo: Okay. So what if I go shopping and someone tries to rip me off.
Oscar: 你可以話:唔好揾我笨 (nei5 ho2 ji5 waa6, m4 hou2 wan2 ngo5 ban6)
Echo: You better not try to cheat me.
Oscar: 你千祈唔好揾我笨。 (nei5 cin1 kei4 m4 hou2 wan2 ngo5 ban6.)
Echo: Right. You better not try to cheat me. So to review, there are lot of verbs in Cantonese just like this.
Oscar: 係呀! 分成兩個部份。 (hai6 aa3! fan1 sing4 loeng5 go3 bou6 fan6.)
Echo: Right. Our direct object goes right in the middle.
Oscar: 揾 我 笨(wan2 ngo5 ban6), 揾 你 笨wan2 nei5 ban6, 揾 Brad Pitt 笨。(wan2 Brad Pitt ban6).
Echo: It can be a bit confusing at first but you will get used to it in no time.
Oscar: 冇錯, 咁樣就冇人會 揾你笨啦! (mou5 co3 , gam2 joeng2 zau6 mou5 jan4 wui5 wan2 nei5 ban6 laa1 !)
Echo: Right. Okay before we go, we like to remind you. If you have any questions
Oscar: 去我哋網站留言啦! (heoi3 ngo5 dei6 mong5 zaam6 lau4 jin4 laa1 !)

Outro

Echo: Right and our address is cantoneseclass101.com
Oscar: 我哋網上見! (ngo5 dei6 mong5 soeng6 gin3 !)
Echo: And we look forward to hearing from you. For now though, bye bye.
Oscar: 下次見! (haa6 ci3 gin3 !)

Comments

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28 Comments
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CantoneseClass101.com
2012-01-24 18:30:00

Have you ever been cheated in Hong Kong?

CantoneseClass101.com
2023-10-06 05:20:09

Hi Alvin,

Both "鋪頭" (pou3 tau2) and "舖頭" (pou3 tau2) mean "shop".

Sincerely,

Sybil

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Alvin
2023-10-03 07:36:46

鋪頭 & 舖頭 are used but mean the same thing. Why is that?

CantoneseClass101.com
2022-09-26 19:37:17

Hi Carl,

嗰陣 [go2 zan6] is like "during" or "the moment when", the only difference being while you use the phrase in front of an action in English, we say it afterwards in Cantonese.

Arnold

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Carl Kelley
2022-09-23 09:43:24

What does Oscar mean by

買嘢嗰陣

I get the maai5 je5 part, but do not know what the go2 zan6 means. Can you break this down for me?

CantoneseClass101.com
2021-06-07 14:36:19

Hi William,

Other than online resources, the key to success is exposure. I suggest you jotting down every time you see an interjection and mark the interjection word out. Sooner or later, you will have a database of interjection usages. It's much better than reciting them. You should learn how to use them from example sentences here, not memorising their meanings. 😉

A simpler way: talk to Cantonese speakers you know! Hope it helps. 😄

Arnold

Team CantoneseClass101.com

William
2021-06-05 00:48:06

"咩," "囉," 同另外嘅尾音點學呀? 喺邊度可以學?

廣東話嘅"stupid"係"笨"定係"蠢?"

CantoneseClass101.com
2020-10-09 05:08:13

Hello robert groulx,

You are very welcome. 😇

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Good luck with your language studies.

Kind regards,

利凡特

Team CantoneseClass101.com

robert groulx
2020-10-08 22:21:13

thanks for the lesson

my favorite phrase is 你可以話:唔好揾我笨

not i never got cheated in hong kong but the temptations are wild

robert

CantoneseClass101.com
2018-11-10 17:47:09

Hello Vincent,

佢個人好大貪㗎!

keoi5 go3 jan4 hou2 daai6 taam1 gaa3.

He is really greedy.

佢個人(keoi5 go3 jan4) ~ He as a person......., This person........ 個(go3) is the measure word for "person".

分成兩個部份(fan1 sing4 loeng5 go3 bou6 fan6)

分成(fan1 sing4)~ have divided into

分(fan1)~ divide, separate

成(sing4)~ turn into, accomplish

部份 (bou6 fan6)~ section, part

部 bou6 - part, division, department

份 fan6 - portion, share

Siuling

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Vincent
2018-10-31 07:48:58

In the vocabulary sentence for "daai6 taam1: greedy" ("keoi5 go3 jan4 hou2 daai6 taam1 gaa3. He is really greedy."), what does "go3 jan4"個人 mean there, and what special or extra meaning does "go3 jan4"個人 add to that sentence, even though it does not appear to be actually translated into the English sentence?

In the transcript (at 8:00), when Oscar says "fan1 sing4 loeng5 go3 bou6 fan6"分成兩個部份, what does "fan1"分, "sing4"成, "bou6"部, and "fan6"份 mean individually, and together if they form a word together? Thank you, again,for your very helpful explanations!

Cantoneseclass101.com
2017-02-12 00:29:38

Hello Chris,

Sorry for not being able to let you understand right away.

The structure of this usage is 搵(wan2) + Any Name + 笨(ban6) which is the active voice.

俾( bei2) +Any Name +揾笨( wan2 ban6) is the passive voice.

I am so sorry that I cannot think of short list of other example “words” that follow the same rules as 揾笨 wan2 ban6 right now.

Siuling

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Chris
2017-02-05 12:14:00

Can you please explain the grammar rule? It's still not clear to me!

Cantoneseclass101.com
2017-01-15 11:40:02

Hello Chris,

You are right. My example is the three characters word 搵老襯 (wan2 lou5 can3). It does not exactly fit the number of the word rule. It is just another way to express the same meaning. But somehow the structure is similar to 揾笨 (wan2 ban6). You use the same verb {搵(wan2)~ search} and then add the object or the person`s name in front of 老襯(lou5 can3) or 笨(ban6). 老襯(lou5 can3) means "the victim of being cheated". It implies "stupidity" so it is similar to the word 笨(ban6).

The structure should be 搵(wan2) + Any Name + 笨(ban6).

搵(wan2) Peter 笨(ban6)

搵(wan2) 香港人(hoeng1 gong2 jan4) 笨(ban6)

香港人(hoeng1 gong2 jan4) ~ Hong Kong people

Siuling

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Chris
2017-01-09 12:44:25

In the pdf you say that "this structure is very common in Cantonese when we are dealing with two character words which consist of a verb and then a complement of some sort (to complete the meaning)."

Your example seems to be a three character 'word', which literally means "to search for old underwear" (as per Cantodict).

Cantoneseclass101.com
2017-01-08 13:55:15

Hello Chris,

Besides 揾笨 (wan2 ban6), you can apply the same rule to 搵老襯 (wan2 lou5 can3).

For example, 唔好揾我老襯. ( m4 hou2 wan2 ngo5 lou5 can3) Don`t trick me.

我俾人搵老襯。 (ngo5 bei2 jan4 wan2 lou5 can3) I was cheated by someone.

The explanation of Oscar`s response.

Echo: So Oscar, have you ever been cheated while shopping?

Oscar: 梗冇啦! 我咁醒. (gang2 mou2 laa1! ngo5 gam3 sing2) Of course not! I am so smart. :wink:

Echo: Umm maybe you just don’t know.

Thank you for your question and feel free to send us any other questions.

Siuling

Team CantoneseClass101.com

Chris
2016-12-28 11:51:26

Regarding the grammar point, can you provide a short list of other example "words" that follow the same rules as 揾笨 wan2 ban6?

Also, can you explain the response below by Oscar?

Echo: So Oscar, have you ever been cheated while shopping?

Oscar: 梗冇啦! 我咁醒.

Echo: Umm maybe you just don’t know.

CantoneseClass101
2015-11-16 22:43:44

Q1: I see in the Lesson Notes: 搵笨 but in Honzi up close, it is written like this 揾笨. I think this is wrong. I think it should be 搵笨. Am I correct?

A1: 搵笨 and 揾笨 are actually interchangeable. It's just a font issue, when I write the word by hand, it's 揾.

Q2: I am looking at Lesson 4 transcript and find these two words: 千祈. Can you please break these two words up into their own meanings? It seems I can remember better if I know each word's meaning.

A2: 千祈 (cin1 kei4) is a very common set phrase meaning "by all means" and "must". We often use it together with 唔好;

千祈唔好 (cin1 kei4 m4 hou2) is a very serious way to ask others not to do something.

千 "thousands"

祈 "plead; wishes"

So imagine someone begging you for a thousand time to do (or not do) something.

CantoneseClass101
2015-08-11 02:54:34

Hi HC,

Indeed! Cantonese has a lot of suffixes for different circumstances/situation/attitudes, it's the fun part of speaking Cantonese! A different suffix could change the whole meaning of the sentence :sweat_smile:

Keep up the good work!:thumbsup:

Olivia

Team CantoneseClass101.com

HC
2015-08-08 13:03:47

Thanks Olivia.

Wow so many suffixes, why so much complicated than Mandarin? Lol

CantoneseClass101
2015-08-08 10:14:56

Hi HC,

The 咪 in 咪係囉, is like "then" or "might just as well".

Regarding the final particles / interjection suffixes, they are unique to Cantonese and cannot relate to Mandarin. This site has a very detailed explanation on this top, please check it out when you have time :wink: http://bit.ly/1wX7Zk6

Olivia

Team CantoneseClass101.com

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