Thursday, July 30, 2009

Lesson 2: Yow Mo

(毡) 湯力
jīn tōng lihk
Gin tonic

___, 中文 點 講 呀?
__, jūng màhn dím góng a?
How do you say ___ in Chinese?

蔥
chūng
Spring onions (green onions)

電視
dihn sih
Television (lit. electric sight)

沙
sāa
Sand

丫娜 (?)
āa làa
"Slender and beautiful maiden"

錢
chìn
Money

文
mahn
Dollars

有冇
yauh móuh
Have/ haven't

你 有冇 錢 呀?
Neih yauh móuh chìn a?
Do you have money?
(Lit. You have/haven't money?)

冇呀.
Mouh a.
I don't have money.
(Lit. Haven't)

有呀.
Yauh a.
I have money.
(Lit. Have)

你 有冇 啤酒 呀?
Neih yauh móuh bē jáu a?
Do you have beer?

黐線鬼婆
chī sĭn gwái pò
Crazy white woman (wires crossed in head)

走啦!
Jáu lāa!
Be off!

幾 多 錢 呀?
géi dó chìn a?
How much is it?

三 十 文
sāam sahp mahn
30 dollars

四 十 五 文
sĕi sahp ngh mahn
45 dollars

朋友
pàhng yáuh
Friend

係 呀
haih a.
Agree

好
hóu
Good

汽水
hĕi séui
soft drink; soda pop

可樂
hó lohk
Coke

兩
léung
Two (of something)

靚仔
lĕng jái
Handsome guy

靚女
lĕng neóih
Beautiful woman

鹹 圾 婆
hàam săap pò
Dirty (ie smutty) old woman

鹹 圾 老
hàam săap lóuh
Dirty old man

一
yāt
one

二
yih
two

三
sāam
three

四
sĕi
four

五
ngh
five

六
luhk
six

七
chāt
seven

八
băat
eight

九
gáu
nine

十
sahp
ten

* checked 20090814 *

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Lesson 3: Hello and Goodbye

___ 點 解 呀?
___ dím gáai a?
What does ___ mean?

你 好?
Neih hóu?
Hi, how are you?

好好。 你 呢?
Hóu hóu. Néih nē?
I'm well. And you?

幾 好。
Géi hóu.
Great!.

喂. 點 呀?
Wăi! Dím a?
Hey! How's it going?

早晨.
Jóu sàhn.
Good morning.

早唞.
Jóu táu.
Good night.

拜拜!
Baai baai!
Bye-bye!

聽 日 見!
Tīng yaht gin!
See you tomorrow!

走 呀 你!
Jáu ā neih!
Go away!

走啦!
Jáu lāa!
Go away!

冇 問 題.
Móuh mahn tàih.
No problem.

*checked version 20090820*

Monday, July 13, 2009

Lesson 1: Intro in the Bar

The bar is Cecilie's favorite place to learn Cantonese. Truly practical.

Tones are indicated in Yale system, which has six tones. For example:
1: sē
2: sé
3: se
4: sèh
5: séh
6: seh

The lower tones 4 to 6 have an 'h' following the vowel. Note that 'h' IS NOT pronounced; it is only there to indicate the lower tones.

The negative prefix 'mh4' is in forth tone and is indicated by 'mh`', since there is no Unicode character (yet) for small letter m, accent grave.

我 唔 識 講 英 文。
Ngóh mh` sīk góng yīng màhn.
I don't speak English.

啤 酒
bē jáu
beer

一 杯 啤酒 唔該。
yāt buī bē jáu mh` gōi.
One glass of beer, please.

乜 嘢 啤酒 呀?
Māt yéh (m'yē) bē jáu a?
Which beer?

呀
á?
What?

生 力 呀 呀 唔該。
Sāng lihk a mh` gōi.
San Miguel, please.

嘉 士 伯。
Gāa sih baak
Carlsberg

喜 力
Héi lihk
Heiniken

幾 (多) 錢 呀?
Géi (dō) chin a?
How much money?

二 十 文。
yih sahp mān.
20 dollars.


好 平 呀.
Hóu peng a.
Very cheap.

___, 中文 點 講 呀?
__, jūng màhn dím góng a?
How do you say ___ in Chinese?

(alternate question not in transcript)
呢 個 用 廣 東 話 點 講 呀?
Nī go yuhng gwóng dūng wá dím góng a?
How do you say this in Cantonese?

*checked version* 20090814