Learn the three meanings of the word 成
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| INTRODUCTION |
| David: Welcome to cantoneseclass101.com. I am David. |
| Nicole: 大家好，我係 (daai6 gaa1 hou2 ，ngo5 hai6) Nicole. |
| David: And we are here with upper intermediate, season 1, Lesson 13. Buying An Apartment in Hong Kong. |
| Nicole: 冇錯嘞！喺香港買樓。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！hai2 hoeng1 gong2 maai5 lau2 。) |
| David: Right. And Nicole wants to add the words, is impossible at the end of this. |
| Nicole: 我哋講實話啫！講老實說話。 (ngo5 dei6 gong2 sat6 waa2 ze1 ！gong2 lou5 sat6 syut3 waa6 。) |
| David: Yeah because they are ridiculously expensive. |
| Nicole: 非常之貴，同埋你仲要除咗買樓之外，你仲要交稅。 (fei1 soeng4 zi1 gwai3 ，tung4 maai4 nei5 zung6 jiu3 ceoi4 zo2 maai5 lau2 zi1 ngoi6 ，nei5 zung6 jiu3 gaau1 seoi3 。) |
| David: Yeah. So expensive, we were doing the math and we are going to get to that after the dialogue but first what’s happening in this dialogue? |
| Nicole: 兩個朋友分享故事，一個買咗樓，一個未買樓。 (loeng5 go3 pang4 jau5 fan1 hoeng2 gu3 si6 ，jat1 go3 maai5 zo2 lau2 ，jat1 go3 mei6 maai5 lau2 。) |
| David: Right and they are talking in casual Cantonese as always. Let’s get to the dialogue. So we did the math for this. The 70% on 3 million works out to about USD425k |
| DIALOGUE |
| A: 做乜咁垂頭喪氣呀新郎哥？ (A: zou6 mat1 gam3 seoi4 tau4 song3 hei3 aa3 san1 long4 go1?) |
| B: 我哋公司最近計劃裁員呀，但係我仲孭緊成身債。 (B: ngo5 dei6 gung1 si1 zeoi3 gan6 gai3 waak6 coi4 jyun4 aa3, daan6 hai6 ngo5 zung6 me1 gan2 seng4 san1 zaai3.) |
| A: 你爭人錢仲結婚？ (A: nei5 zaang1 jan4 cin2 zung6 git3 fan1?) |
| B: 就係因為結婚要買樓囉。我父母將成副身家俾晒我嚟做首期呀。 (B: zau6 hai6 jan1 wai6 git3 fan1 jiu3 maai5 lau2 lo1. ngo5 fu6 mou5 zoeng1 seng4 fu3 san1 gaa1 bei2 saai3 ngo5 lei4 zou6 sau2 kei4 aa3.) |
| A: 咁你問銀行貸咗幾多呀？ (A: gam2 nei5 man6 ngan4 hong4 taai3 zo2 gei2 do1 aa3?) |
| B: 七成按揭，成三百萬。 (B: cat1 sing4 on3 kit3, seng4 saam1 baak3 maan6.) |
| A: 有樓供未偷笑囉。我首期都未儲夠，外母唔俾個女嫁俾我呀。 (A: jau5 lau2 gung1 mei6 tau1 siu3 lo1. ngo5 sau2 kei4 dou1 mei6 cou2 gau3, ngoi6 mou5 m4 bei2 go3 neoi5 gaa3 bei2 ngo5 aa3.) |
| B: 結咗婚一樣煩。我老婆係全職主婦，供樓得我一份糧，好擔心比人炒呀。 (B: git3 zo2 fan1 jat1 joeng6 faan4. ngo5 lou5 po4 hai6 cyun4 zik1 zyu2 fu5, gung1 lau2 dak1 ngo5 jat1 fan6 loeng4, hou2 daam1 sam1 bei2 jan4 caau2 aa3.) |
| A: Why are you so depressed after getting married? |
| B: My company is downsizing, and I'm buried in debt. |
| A: You got married while in debt? |
| B: I took out a loan for the apartment because I was getting married. My parents spent all their savings on the down-payment. |
| A: How much money did you borrow from the bank? |
| B: The mortgage is for seventy percent. Almost three million. |
| A: You should be happy you have mortgage to pay. I can't even save up enough for a down-payment. My future mother-in-law doesn't want to marry her daughter to me at all. |
| B: It's not much better when you are married. My wife is a full-time housewife, and the whole mortgage is on me. So I'm really worried about getting fired. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Nicole: 唔，四百幾萬。 (m4 ，sei3 baak3 gei2 maan6 。) |
| David: And you say, this is going to get you a 50 meter apartment in Hong Kong. |
| Nicole: 大概啦！喺一啲唔係咁差嘅地段, 亦都唔係最好嘅地段。 (daai6 koi3 laa1 ！hai2 jat1 di1 m4 hai6 gam3 caa1 ge3 dei6 dyun6 , jik6 dou1 m4 hai6 zeoi3 hou2 ge3 dei6 dyun6 。) |
| David: And this isn’t a particularly expensive apartment that we are talking about here. |
| Nicole: Eh, 唔算啦！計埋四百零萬, Okay 啦！ (m4 syun3 laa1 ！gai3 maai4 sei3 baak3 leng4 maan6 , Okay laa1 ！) |
| David: Yeah. It’s not great, it’s not bad. |
| Nicole: 對香港人嚟講係好正常嘅價錢。 (deoi3 hoeng1 gong2 jan4 lei4 gong2 hai6 hou2 zing3 soeng4 ge3 gaa3 cin4 。) |
| David: The housing market in Hong Kong basically is insane. That’s the takeaway from this lesson. Let’s get to our vocab section though. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Nicole: 垂頭喪氣。 (seoi4 tau4 song3 hei3.) |
| David: Downhearted. |
| Nicole: 垂 頭 喪 氣, 垂頭喪氣, 裁員。 (seoi4 tau4 song3 hei3, seoi4 tau4 song3 hei3, coi4 jyun4.) |
| David: To fire people. |
| Nicole: 裁 員, 裁員, 孭。 (coi4 jyun4, coi4 jyun4, me1.) |
| David: To carry a burden. |
| Nicole: 孭, 孭, 爭人錢。 (me1, me1, zaang1 jan4 cin2.) |
| David: To owe money. |
| Nicole: 爭 人 錢, 爭人錢, 成身債。 (zaang1 jan4 cin2, zaang1 jan4 cin2, seng4 san1 zaai3.) |
| David: Heavy debt. |
| Nicole: 成 身 債, 成身債, 成副身家。 (seng4 san1 zaai3, seng4 san1 zaai3, seng4 fu3 san1 gaa1.) |
| David: All savings. |
| Nicole: 成 副 身 家, 成副身家, 首期。 (seng4 fu3 san1 gaa1, seng4 fu3 san1 gaa1, sau2 kei4.) |
| David: Down payment. |
| Nicole: 首 期, 首期, 貸。 (sau2 kei4, sau2 kei4, taai3.) |
| David: To loan. |
| Nicole: 貸, 貸, 按揭。 (taai3, taai3, on3 kit3.) |
| David: Mortgage. |
| Nicole: 按 揭, 按揭, 供樓。 (on3 kit3, on3 kit3, gung1 lau2.) |
| David: To pay a mortgage. |
| Nicole: 供 樓, 供樓, 糧。 (gung1 lau2, gung1 lau2, loeng4.) |
| David: Salary. |
| Nicole: 糧, 糧, 偷笑。 (loeng4, loeng4, tau1 siu3.) |
| David: To be secretly happy. |
| Nicole: 偷 笑, 偷笑。 (tau1 siu3, tau1 siu3.) |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| David: Let’s take a closer look at some of these words and phrases. First up, we have the noun mortgage. |
| Nicole: 按揭。 (on3 kit3 。) |
| David: Mortgage. |
| Nicole: 按揭。 (on3 kit3 。) |
| David: So what kind of mortgages do we have? |
| Nicole: 我哋可以供樓嘅按揭，或者買車嘅按揭。 (ngo5 dei6 ho2 ji5 gung1 lau2 ge3 on3 kit3 ，waak6 ze2 maai5 ce1 ge3 on3 kit3 。) |
| David: Right. So you are going to have a mortgage for buying housing or buying a car. |
| Nicole: 唔, 係啦！一般喺香港你可以用按揭買樓, 可以用按揭買車，咁當你還按揭嗰陣就會變成 “供樓”, “供車”。 (m4 , hai6 laak3 ！jat1 bun1 hai2 hoeng1 gong2 nei5 ho2 ji5 jung6 on3 kit3 maai5 lau2 , ho2 ji5 jung6 on3 kit3 maai5 ce1 ，gam2 dong1 nei5 waan4 on3 kit3 go2 zan6 zau6 wui2 bin3 sing4 “gung1 lau2 ”, “gung1 ce1 ”。) |
| David: Right. So there are two verbs there. In our dialogue, we had this one. |
| Nicole: 供樓。 (gung1 lau2 。) |
| David: We translated this as to pay mortgage but really it’s to pay the mortgage on a house. |
| Nicole: 你係供緊樓。 (nei5 hai6 gung1 gan2 lau2 。) |
| David: Right and if you’ve got a mortgage on a car, then you are going to say. |
| Nicole: 供車。 (gung1 ce1 。) |
| David: For instance, you might say, he is really burdened by debt. He’s got to pay a mortgage on a house and a car. |
| Nicole: 佢而家爭人成身債，因為佢要供樓，又要供車。 (keoi5 ji4 gaa1 zaang1 jan4 seng4 san1 zaai3 ，jan1 wai6 keoi5 jiu3 gung1 lau2 ，jau6 jiu3 gung1 ce1 。) |
| David: He’s really burdened by debt because he’s got to pay a mortgage on a house and a car. |
| Nicole: 佢而家成身債，因為佢又要供樓，又要供車。 (keoi5 ji4 gaa1 seng4 san1 zaai3 ，jan1 wai6 keoi5 jau6 jiu3 gung1 lau2 ，jau6 jiu3 gung1 ce1 。) |
| David: And I don’t know how Hong Kong people do it because the cost is so ridiculously high here for housing. |
| Nicole: 冇錯，因為買棟樓都要幾百萬。 (mou5 co3 ，jan1 wai6 maai5 dung6 lau2 dou1 jiu3 gei2 baak3 maan6 。) |
| David: Yeah. What often happens is the entire families will chip in with all of their savings to buy real estate. |
| Nicole: 譬如爸爸啦，媽媽啦全部會幫你比啲首期。 (pei3 jyu4 baa4 baa1 laa1 ，maa4 maa1 laa1 cyun4 bou6 wui2 bong1 nei5 bei2 di1 sau2 kei4 。) |
| David: Yeah and we have a word here, a noun that refers to the savings of the entire family and we’ve got a noun here that refers to all savings. |
| Nicole: 成副身家。 (sing4 fu3 san1 gaa1 。) |
| David: All savings. |
| Nicole: 成副身家。 (sing4 fu3 san1 gaa1 。) |
| David: This could be all savings of the individual, it could be the savings of the entire family or not actually being specific. |
| Nicole: 冇錯喇！成副身家, 喺香港呢一般買樓嗰陣呢爸爸媽媽就會將成副身家呢幫佢個仔比首期喇。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！sing4 fu3 san1 gaa1 , hai2 hoeng1 gong2 ne1 jat1 bun1 maai5 lau2 go2 zan6 ne1 baa4 baa1 maa4 maa1 zau6 wui2 zoeng3 sing4 fu3 san1 gaa1 ne1 bong1 keoi5 go3 zai2 bei2 sau2 kei4 laal3 。) |
| David: Yeah. If you are an individual though, you may find that you do not have a lot in savings as in this poor chap. |
| Nicole: 佢嘅成副身家呢就係佢部車。 ( keoi5 ge3 sing4 fu3 san1 gaa1 ne1 zau6 hai6 keoi5 bou6 ce1 。) |
| David: Yeah. All of his savings are in his car. |
| Nicole: 佢全副身家就係佢部車。 (keoi5 cyun4 fu3 san1 gaa1 zau6 hai6 keoi5 bou6 ce1 。) |
| David: Yeah. He is not hiding money in there. The car is – it’ all that he has got. |
| Nicole: 冇錯。 (mou5 co3 。) |
| David: Question for you. Why don’t more people live in their cars in Hong Kong? You have this sometimes in the states. |
| Nicole: 因為香港地方細囉！你住喺部車你冇地方停，因為停車好貴。 (jan1 wai6 hoeng1 gong2 dei6 fong1 sai3 lo1 ！nei5 zyu6 hai2 bou6 ce1 nei5 mou5 dei6 fong1 ting4 ，jan1 wai6 ting4 ce1 hou2 gwai3 。) |
| David: Yes, yes, you may as well get a normal home. Okay so that’s our vocab anyway. We’ve got a great grammar point for you. So let’s get to it. It’s grammar time. Okay Nicole, so what are we looking at today? |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Nicole: 唔，今日我哋講關於 Jackie Chan. 唔係，我哋今日講關於成龍嘅 “成” 字。 (m4 ，gam1 jat6 ngo5 dei6 gong2 gwaan1 jyu1 Jackie Chan . m4 hai6 ，ngo5 dei6 gam1 jat6 gong2 gwaan1 jyu1 sing4 lung4 ge3 “sing4 ” zi6 。 ) |
| David: Right. So we are looking at this character and we are focusing on it today because the character has three meanings. |
| Nicole: 冇錯喇！三種意思，第一個呢就係, “佢孭緊成身債”。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！saam1 zung2 ji3 si1 ，dai6 jat1 go3 ne1 zau6 hai6 , “keoi5 me1 gan2 sing4 san1 zaai3 ”。) |
| David: I am also completely buried in debt. |
| Nicole: 我仲孭緊成身債, “成” 嘅意思即係全部。 (ngo5 zung6 me1 gan2 sing4 san1 zaai3 , “sing4 ” ge3 ji3 si1 zik1 hai6 cyun4 bou6 。) |
| David: Right. So it means completely here or complete. |
| Nicole: 我仲孭緊成身債。 (ngo5 zung6 me1 gan2 sing4 san1 zaai3 。) |
| David: Yeah. The whole body, the entire body is burdened with debt. |
| Nicole: 冇錯，咁我哋喺後一個句子, “我父母將成副身家俾晒我嚟做首期呀”。 (mou5 co3 ，gam2 ngo5 dei6 hai2 hau6 jat1 go3 geoi3 zi2 , “ngo5 fu6 mou5 zoeng1 sing4 fu3 san1 gaa1 bei2 saai3 ngo5 lei4 zou6 sau2 kei4 aa3 ”。) |
| David: Right. My parents paid all of their savings into this down payment. |
| Nicole: 成副身家。 (sing4 fu3 san1 gaa1 。) |
| David: Right. All of the savings. |
| Nicole: 成副身家, 成身債。 (sing4 fu3 san1 gaa1 , sing4 san1 zaai3 。) |
| David: Right. So the meaning in both of these phrases is the whole or entire and this is actually related to the second meaning but it’s different from it because in the second case, what we are talking about is not the entire thing but rather a portion of it. |
| Nicole: 冇錯嘞！我哋仲聽到 “七成按揭”。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！ngo5 dei6 zung6 teng1 dou2 “cat1 sing4 on3 kit3 ”。) |
| David: The mortgage is for 70%. |
| Nicole: 七成按揭。 (cat1 sing4 on3 kit3 。) |
| David: So this means 70%. |
| Nicole: 譬如一成。 (pei3 jyu4 jat1 sing4 。) |
| David: 10% |
| Nicole: 四成。 (sei3 sing4 。) |
| David: 40% |
| Nicole: 八成八。 (baat3 sing4 baat3 。) |
| David: 88% right. So what we are really saying is eight parts of the whole or four parts of the whole or ten parts of the whole. |
| Nicole: 唔，冇錯。 (m4 ，mou5 co3 。) |
| David: So those are two meanings for this character. The first means entire and the second means not the entire thing. Nicole, what’s the third? |
| Nicole: 第三個呢就係 成三百萬。 (dai6 saam1 go3 ne1 zau6 hai6 sing4 saam1 baak3 maan6 。) |
| David: Almost 3 million. |
| Nicole: 成三百萬, “成” 嘅意思即係差吾多，咁我哋一般呢用嚟形容時間，或者係數字，譬如話按揭成30 年。 (sing4 saam1 baak3 maan6 , “sing4 ” ge3 ji3 si1 zik1 hai6 caa1 ng4 do1 ，gam2 ngo5 dei6 jat1 bun1 ne1 jung6 lai4 jing4 jung4 si4 gaan3 ，waak6 ze2 hai6 sou3 zi6 ，pei3 jyu4 waa6 on3 kit3 sing4 saam1 sap6 nin4 。) |
| David: A mortgage of almost 30 years. |
| Nicole: 按揭成30 年。 (on3 kit3 sing4 saam1 sap6 nin4 。) |
| David: Almost 30 years for mortgage. |
| Nicole: 冇錯。 (mou5 co3 。) |
| David: Right. So again, this character |
| Nicole: 成。 (sing4 。) |
| David: Has three meanings. |
| Nicole: 第一個就係完全,全部嘅。第二個就係幾多部份啦！第三個就係差唔多, 幾乎。 (dai6 jat1 go3 zau6 hai6 jyun4 cyun4 ,cyun4 bou6 ge3 。dai6 ji6 go3 zau6 hai6 gei2 do1 bou6 fan6 laa1 ！dai6 saam1 go3 zau6 hai6 caa1 m4 do1 , gei2 fu4 。) |
Outro |
| David: Yeah. Okay so that’s our lesson for today. Before we go though, let us remind you. |
| Nicole: 所有嘅訊息所有嘅 grammar 呢，都可以喺我哋嘅高級會員中心度 download 嘅， download 咗之後呢就可以 print 出嚟啦！Print 出嚟之後就可以用㗎喇！ (so2 jau5 ge3 seon3 sik1 so2 jau5 ge3 grammar ne1 ，dou1 ho2 ji5 hai2 ngo5 dei6 ge3 gou1 kap1 wui2 jyun4 zung1 sam1 dou6 download ge3 ， download zo2 zi1 hau6 ne1 zau6 ho2 ji5 print ceot1 lai4 laa1 ！Print ceot1 lai4 zi1 hau6 zau6 ho2 ji5 jung6 gaa3 laa3 ！) |
| David: Right. So you don’t ever need to listen to this lesson again just to get the grammar point. Just print out the PDF and review it that way. It’s in the premium learning center. |
| Nicole: 冇錯。 (mou5 co3 。) |
| David: For now though, that’s our show. From Hong Kong, I am David. |
| Nicole: 我係 (ngo5 hai6) Nicole. |
| David: Thanks for listening and we will see you online. |
| Nicole: 下次見 。 (haa6 ci3 gin3 。) |
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