Learn about superstitions in Hong Kong
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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: Upper intermediate, season 1, Lesson 9. Bad Luck in Hong Kong. |
| Nicole: 冇錯喇，香港嘅衰運會係咩呢？但係其實都有更多好運嘅。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ，hoeng1 gong2 ge3 seoi1 wan6 wui2 hai6 me1 ne1 ？daan6 hai6 kei4 sat6 dou1 jau5 gang3 do1 hou2 wan6 ge2 。) |
| David: Yeah. So this dialogue is between two friends. They are talking about how one of the friends is stumbled into a period of bad luck. |
| Nicole: 一連續嘅惡運，包括係激嬲女朋友啦，仲有俾人偷嘢添。 (jat1 lin4 zuk6 ge3 ngok3 wan6 ，baau1 kut3 hai6 gik1 nau1 neoi5 pang4 jau5 laa1 ，zung6 jau5 bei2 jan4 tau1 je5 tim1 。) |
| David: Yeah and you will be amazed at how he is supposed to get rid of it. |
| Nicole: 我哋有... ( ngo5 dei6 jau5 ...) |
| David: Maybe. |
| Nicole: 冇錯，我哋有好多方法可以驅走啲惡運。 (mou5 co3 ，ngo5 dei6 jau5 hou2 do1 fong1 faat3 ho2 ji5 keoi1 zau2 di1 ngok3 wan6 。) |
| David: Yeah. So this dialogue casual Cantonese as always. Let’s get to it. |
| DIALOGUE |
| A: 做咩咁愁呀？黑口黑面，俾女飛呀？ (A: zou6 me1 gam3 sau4 aa3? haak1 hau2 haak1 min6, bei2 neoi2 fei1 aa4?) |
| B: 咪玩啦，我近排好黑仔呀。 (B: mai6 waan2 laa1, ngo5 gan6 paai2 hou2 haak1 zai2 aa3.) |
| A: 講嚟聽下，等我笑下。 (A: gong2 lai4 teng1 haa5,dang2 ngo5 siu3 haa5.) |
| B: 上個禮拜我女朋友生日，但我忙得好交關，唔記得咗。 (B: Soeng6 go3 lai5 baai3 ngo5 neoi5 pang4 jau5 saang1 jat6, daan6 ngo5 mong4 dak1 hou2 gaau1 gwaan1, m4 gei3 dak1 zo2.) |
| A: 死硬啦你。咁大鑊。 (A: sei2 ngaang6 laa1 nei5. gam3 daai6 wok6.) |
| B: 我想買份禮物補鑊㗎，點知個銀包俾人偷咗。 (B: ngo5 soeng2 maai5 fan6 lai5 mat6 bou2 wok6. dim2 zi1 go3 ngan4 baau1 bei2 jan4 tau1 zo2.) |
| A: 嗯，望落你的確印堂發黑，返去用碌柚葉冲凉啦。 (A: ng6, mong6 lok6 nei5 dik1 kok3 jan3 tong4 faat3 haak1, faan1 heoi3 jung6 luk1 jau2 jip6 cung1 loeng4 laa1.) |
| A: Why so worried? And what's with the long face? Your girlfriend dump you? |
| B: Stop kidding around. I've had enough bad luck lately. |
| A: Tell me about it. I can laugh about it. |
| B: It was my girlfriend's birthday last week. But I was tied up at work and forgot. |
| A: You're dead. That's pretty serious. |
| B: I wanted to buy her a present to make it up to her, but my wallet was stolen. |
| A: Hmm. Your glabella does look dark. Go home and take a pomelo-leaf bath! |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| David: I think everyone listening to the show has just learned a new word. |
| Nicole: 冇錯，包括我，我都係啱啱學識呢個詞嘅啫。 (mou5 co3 ，baau1 kut3 ngo5 ，ngo5 dou1 hai6 ngaam1 ngaam1 hok6 sik1 ni1 go3 ci4 ge3 ze1 。) |
| David: Really, the infamous glabella, it’s a medical term. We’re gonna get to it and more in the vocab section today. |
| Nicole: Okay. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Nicole: 黑口黑面 。(hak1 hau2 hak1 min6.) |
| David: Long face. |
| Nicole: 黑 口 黑 面, 黑口黑面, 印堂 。(hak1 hau2 hak1 min6, hak1 hau2 hak1 min6, jan3 tong4.) |
| David: Glabella. |
| Nicole: 印 堂, 印堂, 黑仔 。(jan3 tong4, jan3 tong4, hak1 zai2.) |
| David: Unfortunate. |
| Nicole: 黑 仔，黑仔, 交關 。(hak1 zai2, hak1 zai2, gaau1 gwaan1.) |
| David: Very serious. |
| Nicole: 交 關，交關, 飛。 (gaau1 gwaan1, gaau1 gwaan1, fei1 .) |
| David: To dump. |
| Nicole: 飛，飛, 大鑊。 (fei1 , fei1, daai6 wok6.) |
| David: Really serious. |
| Nicole: 大 鑊，大鑊。補鑊。 (daai6 wok6, daai6 wok6, bou2 wok6.) |
| David: To make up. |
| Nicole: 補 鑊，補鑊。碌柚葉。 (bou2 wok6, bou2 wok6, luk1 jau2 jip6.) |
| David: Pomelo leaves. |
| Nicole: 碌 柚 葉，碌柚葉。沖涼。 (luk1 jau2 jip6, luk1 jau2 jip6, cung1 loeng4.) |
| David: To bath. |
| Nicole: 沖 涼，沖涼。 (cung1 loeng4, cung1 loeng4.) |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| David: I think the first one we have to talk about, Nicole, you know what it is? |
| Nicole: Eh, 黑口黑面, 意思即係話你成個口同埋你塊面都係黑色嘅，咁即係好 ...好衰啦！ (hak1 hau2 hak1 min6 , ji3 si1 zik1 hai6 waa6 nei5 sing4 go3 hau2 tung4 maai4 nei5 faai3 min6 dou1 hai6 hak1 sik1 ge3 ，gam2 zik1 hai6 hou2 ...hou2 seoi1 laa1 ！) |
| David: Okay well that one I think is obvious right? Black mouth, black face. I am talking about the Glabella. |
| Nicole: Oh 印堂！印堂係一個好重要嘅位置，佢係喺你兩堂眉嘅中間。 (jan3 tong4 ！jan3 tong4 hai6 jat1 go3 hou2 zung6 jiu3 ge3 wai6 zi3 ，keoi5 hai6 hai2 nei5 loeng5 tong4 mei4 ge3 zung1 gaan1 。) |
| David: Yeah I didn’t know that there was this word. Technically this is describing the part that’s just above your nose and in between your eyebrows. |
| Nicole: 冇錯，非常之準確嘅一個位，就係嗰一小小部地方。 (mou5 co3 ，fei1 soeng4 zi1 zeon2 kok3 ge3 jat1 go3 wai2 ，zau6 hai6 go2 jat1 siu2 siu2 bou6 dei6 fong1 。) |
| David: And we checked, according to Wikipedia, this is called the Glabella. |
| Nicole: 印堂。 (jan3 tong4 。) |
| David: Yeah and apparently in Cantonese culture, this becomes black when you have bad luck. |
| Nicole: 哈哈哈！唔會係完全黑色，但係好暗。 (haa1 haa1 haa1 ！m4 wui2 hai6 jyun4 cyun4 hak1 sik1 ，daan6 hai6 hou2 ngam3 。) |
| David: Okay not fully black but really dark. |
| Nicole:冇錯喇！我而家呢個係好白嘅，但係如果你見到有人印堂發黑，你知道佢好衰仔。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！ngo5 ji4 gaa1 ni1 go3 hai6 hou2 baak6 ge3 ，daan6 hai6 jyu4 gwo2 nei5 gin3 dou2 jau5 jan4 jan3 tong4 faat3 hak1 ，nei5 zi1 dou6 keoi5 hou2 seoi1 zai2 。) |
| David: Right. So we actually see this described as part of a bigger phrase which is to have your glabella turn dark. |
| Nicole: 印堂發黑, 咁即係意味住你好衰。 (jan3 tong4 faat3 hak1 , gam2 zik1 hai6 ji3 mei6 zyu6 nei5 hou2 seoi1 。) |
| David: Right. So if you see someone who looks down on their luck, you could say, hey pal, it looks like your glabella is turning dark. |
| Nicole: 哈哈哈！喂！你印堂發黑喎！ (haa1 haa1 haa1 ！wai3 ！nei5 jan3 tong4 faat3 hak1 wo3！) |
| David: Yeah. |
| Nicole: 你一般都會喺啲睇相佬度聽到呢句話。(nei5 jat1 bun1 dou1 wui2 hai2 di1 tai2 soeng3 lou2 dou6 teng1 dou2 ni1 geoi3 waa6 。) |
| David: Yeah and there is a solution to this problem Nicole. |
| Nicole: 冇錯喇！用碌柚葉冲凉。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！jung6 luk1 jau2 jip6 cung1 loeng4 。) |
| David: Right and that’s to use Pomelo leaves. |
| Nicole: 碌柚葉。 (luk1 jau2 jip6 。) |
| David: Pomelo leaves. |
| Nicole: 碌 柚 葉。 (luk1 jau2 jip6 。) |
| David: And it’s not as simple as just taking a bath with these leaves. |
| Nicole: 梗係唔係啦！你仲要攞啲碌柚葉擺喺個門度，大步檻過。 (gang2 hai6 m4 hai6 laa1 ！nei5 zung6 jiu3 lo2 di1 luk1 jau2 jip6 baai2 hai2 go3 mun4 dou6 ，daai6 bou6 laam3 gwo3 。) |
| David: Yes. First you have to get the leaves and then you have to put them on the floor and step over them into your apartment. |
| Nicole: 唔，記住要喺個門度。 (m4 ，gei3 zyu6 jiu3 hai2 go3 mun4 dou6 。) |
| David: Yeah. And then after that, you don’t need to take them into the bath with you. You can boil them in water and then bathe in that water. |
| Nicole: 冇錯喇！可以駛開啲衰氣。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！ho2 ji5 sai2 hoi1 di1 seoi1 hei3 。) |
| David: So is it good to give these to someone or is that bad because you are suggesting maybe their luck hasn’t been good. |
| Nicole: Ah, 一般唔會送俾人，一般係自己攞。 ( jat1 bun1 m4 wui2 sung3 bei2 jan4 ，jat1 bun1 hai6 zi6 gei2 lo2 。) |
| David: Okay anyway two words that you will use in the Hong Kong that you will probably never use in English. |
| Nicole: 印堂發黑, 碌柚葉。 (jan3 tong4 faat3 hak1 , luk1 jau2 jip6 。) |
| David: Yeah and beside that, we’ve got another really useful word here actually for relationships which is to makeup. |
| Nicole: 補鑊。 (bou2 wok6 。) |
| David: To makeup. |
| Nicole: 補鑊。 ( bou2 wok6 。) |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| David: Okay and with that, let’s get to the grammar section. It’s grammar time. Okay so Nicole, today we wanted to take a break from grammar and we wanted to talk a bit about these Cantonese superstitions. |
| Nicole: 中國嘅封建迷信，冇問題。 (zung1 gwok3 ge3 fung1 gin3 mai4 seon3 ，mou5 man6 tai4 。) |
| David: Yeah. So apparently, there are various ways of getting rid of bad luck here in Hong Kong which may not be obvious. |
| Nicole: 冇錯喇！你除咗可以驅走惡運呢，仲可以帶嚟好運添。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！nei5 ceoi4 zo2 ho2 ji5 keoi1 zau2 ngok3 wan6 ne1 ，zung6 ho2 ji5 daai3 lai4 hou2 wan6 tim1 。) |
| David: Yeah and we are not just talking about the bath. |
| Nicole:梗係唔係啦！你除咗冲凉之外仲有其他好多方法嘅，譬如話你隨身帶個符。 (gang2 hai6 m4 hai6 laa1 ！nei5 ceoi4 zo2 cung1 loeng4 zi1 ngoi6 zung6 jau5 kei4 taa1 hou2 do1 fong1 faat3 ge3 ，pei3 jyu4 waa6 nei5 ceoi4 san1 daai3 go3 fu4 。) |
| David: Right. This is the wallet card. |
| Nicole: 哈哈！冇錯喇！我都有個符，每個人都有個符。 (haa1 haa1 ！mou5 co3 laak3 ！ngo5 dou1 jau5 go3 fu4 ，mui5 go3 jan4 dou1 jau5 go3 fu4 。) |
| David: You have one in your wallet. |
| Nicole: 梗係啦！ (gang2 hai6 laa1 ！) |
| David: So what this is is a smallish square golden shining card. Sometimes it’s got an image of Buddha on it. Sometimes… |
| Nicole: 或者係菩薩啦！或者係其他佛, 或者係神。 (waak6 ze2 hai6 pou4 saat3 laa1 ！waak6 ze2 hai6 kei4 taa1 fat6 , waak6 ze2 hai6 san4 。) |
| David: Yeah and there is nothing really like it in English. |
| Nicole: Eh ….. 兔仔腳。 ( tou3 zai2 goek3 。) |
| David: Yeah. Maybe a rabbit foot is actually the closest because it doesn’t actively do anything. It just kind of passively brings good luck if you’ve got it on your purse. |
| Nicole: Eh … 同埋你可以 …. 驅走啲鬼啦！ (tung4 maai4 nei5 ho2 ji5 …. keoi1 zau2 di1 gwai2 laa1 ！) |
| David: Yeah and it maybe might bring money in too. |
| Nicole: Yeah. |
| David: So when you see people selling these tiny golden cards that’s what they are. So you can buy one and you can put it in your wallet and watch your luck change. |
| Nicole: 但係你仲要誠心咁去信佢，要求佢。 (daan6 hai6 nei5 zung6 jiu3 sing4 sam1 gam2 heoi3 seon3 keoi5 ，jiu3 kau4 keoi5 。) |
| David: Okay next. Now that we’ve explained the golden wallet phenomenon, one question is, do Cantonese people have the same bad luck approach to umbrellas that we get in the west? You know, you are not able to open them indoors, that’s bad. |
| Nicole: 冇！我哋可以喺室內開遮，但係呢記住千祈唔好打碎鏡。 (mou5 ！ngo5 dei6 ho2 ji5 hai2 sat1 noi6 hoi1 ze1 ，daan6 hai6 ne1 gei3 zyu6 cin1 kei4 m4 hou2 daa2 seoi3 geng3 。) |
| David: So we all agree on the mirrors then? |
| Nicole: Eh, 鏡係有衰運㗎！ (geng3 hai6 jau5 seoi1 wan6 gaa3 ！) |
| David: Okay. So no one can break a mirror but umbrellas, you can open as many as you want anywhere you want. |
| Nicole: 冇問題！ (mou5 man6 tai4 ！) |
| David: It’s okay. There is actually something strange with mirrors here too. |
| Nicole: 你絕對唔可以喺房間度擺鏡對住張床。 (nei5 zyut6 deoi3 m4 ho2 ji5 hai2 fong4 gaan1 dou6 baai2 geng3 deoi3 zyu6 zoeng1 cong4 。) |
| David: You can’t put them in your bedroom facing the bed. |
| Nicole: 除此之外，擺喺兩邊都唔得。 (ceoi4 ci2 zi1 ngoi6 ，baai2 hai2 loeng5 bin1 dou1 m4 dak1 。) |
| David: Yeah. So you could put them in the bedroom as long as the reflection of the bed is not in the mirror. |
| Nicole: 冇錯喇！所以你要擺到好遠。 (mou5 co3 laak3 ！so2 ji5 nei5 jiu3 baai2 dou3 hou2 jyun5 。) |
| David: But if you put them facing the bed or if you move them, if anything happens and the bed is caught in the mirror, that’s really, really bad luck. |
| Nicole: 非常之唔吉利。 (fei1 soeng4 zi1 m4 gat1 lei6 。) |
| David: Right. So don’t do that and if people from Hong Kong come to visit your house, don’t put them in the room with a mirror in it facing the bed. |
| Nicole: 如果唔係會嚇到我完全唔敢瞓。 (jyu4 gwo2 m4 hai6 wui2 haak3 dou3 ngo5 jyun4 cyun4 m4 gam2 fan3 。) |
| David: Yeah. So anyway, we did want to take a little break from grammar today and just kind of share this superstition stuff. |
| Nicole: 因為好重要。 (jan1 wai4 hou2 zung6 jiu3 。) |
| David: It’s really interesting and also textbooks never really talk about it and it’s hard to pick up on unless you know about it. So we hope you enjoyed the show. If you have any questions, we’ve got an email address here. |
| Nicole: Contactus@cantoneseclass101.com |
| David: Right and as the email address says, please do use it to contact us. If you have any questions, you can also leave them on the site and we are looking forward to getting them so we can answer you. |
| Nicole: 冇錯。 (mou5 co3 。) |
Outro |
| David: And with that, yeah we are done our lesson for today. Coming to you from almost right next to Festival Walk here in Kowloon Town, I am David. |
| Nicole: 我係 (ngo5 hai6) Nicole. |
| David: Thanks for listening and we will see you guys online. |
| Nicole: 下次見。 (haa6 ci3 gin3 。) |
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