Learn the phrases to use at a money exchange
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| Cantonese Survival phrases, lesson 41. Foreign Exchange. You can exchange money everywhere in Hong Kong, at airport, banks or even small corner stores or ATMs. If you want to change your money, the first thing you need to do is find some place and change it. To do this, we are going to review some Cantonese we’ve learned before. The Cantonese word for ATM is 櫃員機(gwai6 jyun4 gei1) ATM 櫃員機(gwai6 jyun4 gei1) ATM or cash machine.櫃員機(gwai6 jyun4 gei1) You can also just say ATM in English. Most people understand it. So ask, is there an ATM near here. 附近有冇ATM?(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ATM) Is there an ATM near here? 附近有冇ATM?(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ATM) Let’s break it down by syllable. 附 近 有 冇ATM?(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ATM). Now let’s hear it one more time. 附 近 有 冇ATM?(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ATM) or you can say 附近有冇櫃員機？(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 gwai6 jyun4 gei1) Is there an ATM near here? 附近有冇櫃員機？(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 gwai6 jyun4 gei1) Now to ask for a bank, you can just replace the word for ATM with the word for bank and the phrase works just fine. Is there a bank near here is 附近有冇銀行？(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ngan4 haang4) Is there a bank near here? 附近有冇銀行？(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ngan4 haang4) Let’s break it down by syllable. 附 近 有 冇 銀 行？(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ngan4 haang4), 附近有冇銀行？(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ngan4 haang4) The only things that change are the thing you are looking for, in this case 銀行(ngan4 haang4) or bank. Let’s break down this word and hear it one more time 銀行(ngan4 haang4) bank 銀行(ngan4 haang4) bank. To recap, we have 附近有冇銀行？(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ngan4 haang4) Is there a bank near here? For times when there is neither a bank nor an ATM, you can ask where can I exchange currency. In Cantonese, this is 邊度可以兌換貨幣？(bin1 dou6 ho2 ji5 deoi3 wun6 fo3 bai6) Where can I exchange currency? 邊度可以兌換貨幣？(bin1 dou6 ho2 ji5 deoi3 wun6 fo3 bai6) Let’s break it down by syllable. 邊 度 可 以 兌 換 貨 幣？(bin1 dou6 ho2 ji5 deoi3 wun6 fo3 bai6) Now let’s hear it one more time. 邊度可以兌換貨幣？(bin1 dou6 ho2 ji5 deoi3 wun6 fo3 bai6) Where can I exchange currency. The first word 邊度(bin1 dou6 ) means where. Let’s break down this word and hear it once again 邊度(bin1 dou6 ), 邊度(bin1 dou6 ). Then we have 可以(ho2 ji5) which in English means can 可以(ho2 ji5), 可以(ho2 ji5) . Then you have 兌換(deoi3 wun6) which means to exchange 兌換(deoi3 wun6), 兌換(deoi3 wun6). To recap here, we have 邊度可以兌換(bin1 dou6 ho2 ji5 deoi3 wun6) Literally this means where can exchange. Let’s look at the next word 貨幣(fo3 bai6). 貨幣(fo3 bai6) literally means money but it’s only used in formal context. Altogether we have 邊度可以兌換貨幣？(bin1 dou6 ho2 ji5 deoi3 wun6 fo3 bai6) Literally this means where can I exchange money. Exchanging currency is really easy. Usually people will give you $100 or $500 notes. Sometimes you will want smaller bills to pay for the bus or taxi. So ask for it. In Cantonese, smaller denomination please is 細紙吖唔該(sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). Smaller denominations please 細紙吖唔該(sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). Let’s break it down by syllable. 細 紙 吖 唔 該(sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). Now let’s hear it one more time 細紙吖唔該(sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1) The first word 細(sai3) means small 細(sai3) small. Next we have 紙(zi2) which means paper or paper money in this context. 細紙(sai3 zi2) small note 細紙(sai3 zi2) small note followed by the polite sound 吖(aa1). If you leave that out, the sentence will be 細紙唔該(sai3 zi2 m4 goi1) and that makes sense too. Finally you have 唔該(m4 goi1) or please. Altogether we have 細紙吖唔該(sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). In English, this means in smaller denominations please. Finally you can also use the phrase, break this please to indicate you would like small amount of the currency. In Cantonese, break this please is 唱細紙吖唔該(coeng3 sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1), break this please 唱細紙吖唔該(coeng3 sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). Let’s break it down by syllable. 唱 細 紙 吖 唔 該(coeng3 sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). Now let’s hear it once again. 唱細紙吖唔該(coeng3 sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). Break this please. The first word 唱(coeng3) means to break or to exchange and this is only used in spoken Cantonese. Let’s hear it one more time 唱(coeng3), 唱(coeng3). Next we have 細紙(sai3 zi2) which means small note 細紙(sai3 zi2). Altogether we have 唱細紙吖唔該(coeng3 sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). Literally this means exchange small notes please. 唱細紙吖唔該(coeng3 sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). That’s it for today’s lesson. Let’s move to our regular test and see how much you can remember. Is there an ATM near here? 附近有冇ATM?(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 ATM), 附近有冇櫃員機？(fu6 gan6 jau5 mou5 gwai6 jyun4 gei1) Where can I exchange currency? 邊度可以兌換貨幣？(bin1 dou6 ho2 ji5 deoi3 wun6 fo3 bai6) In smaller denominations please. 細紙吖唔該(sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). Break this please. 唱細紙吖唔該(coeng3 sai3 zi2 aa1 m4 goi1). All right, that about does it for today. Remember to stop by cantoneseclass101.com and pick up the accompanying PDF. And if you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment. Bye bye. |
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