Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Hi, guys! Welcome to Cantonese Top Words. Today, we’re going to talk about 10 ways to remember words! Remember words, it’s always hard for me to remember new terms or new vocabularies. Let’s see what are the ways to improve that.
1. 我不斷重複讀,寫,同埋講啲字。(ngo5 bat1 dyun3 cung4 fuk1 duk6, se2, tung4 maai4 gong2 di1 zi6.) “I use repetition; reading, writing, and speaking words over and over again.”
First one is...我不斷重複讀,寫,同埋講啲字。(ngo5 bat1 dyun3 cung4 fuk1 duk6, se2, tung4 maai4 gong2 di1 zi6.) “I use repetition; reading, writing, and speaking the words over and over again.”
Keep saying it; 讀書 (duk6 syu1), 讀書 (duk6 syu1), 讀書 (duk6 syu1), 讀書 (duk6 syu1), 讀書 (duk6 syu1), until it doesn’t mean anything to you and then somehow you will remember.
2. 我大聲讀啲字,等我自己可以聽清楚。 (ngo5 daai6 seng1 duk6 di1 zi6, dang2 ngo5 zi6 gei2 ho2 ji3 teng1 cing1 co2.) “I say words out loud so that I can actually hear them.”
Next tip is... 我大聲讀啲字,等我自己可以聽清楚。 (ngo5 daai6 seng1 duk6 di1 zi6, dang2 ngo5 zi6 gei2 ho2 ji3 teng1 cing1 co2.) “I say the words out loud so that I can actually hear them.”
So some people, when they study a language, they just read it from the book or they listen to the video or audio, but they never actually pronounce them out loud. So this is actually a very helpful tip, you have to say it loud and hear it in your own voice. That way, you can remember the words better.
3. 我學啲單詞嘅來源,同埋唔同嘅字點樣串連一齊。 (ngo5 hok6 di1 daan1 ci4 ge3 loi4 jyun4, tung4 maai4 m4 tung4 ge3 zi6 dim2 joeng2 cyun3 lin4 jat1 cai4.) “I learn about the roots of words and how different words are related to each other.”
Next tip is...我學啲單詞嘅來源,同埋唔同嘅字點樣串連一齊。 (ngo5 hok6 di1 daan1 ci4 ge3 loi4 jyun4, tung4 maai4 m4 tung4 ge3 zi6 dim2 joeng2 cyun3 lin4 jat1 cai4.) “I learn about the roots of words and how different words are related to each other.”
Especially in Cantonese, it’s very easy to link words together because sometimes it has a core word that relate everything about that with that character. So for example, “car” is 車 (ce1) and a “garage” would be 車房 (ce1 fong4). So the room for the car. You still have the word 車 (ce1) in other terms that are about cars. That’s very useful right?
4. 我嘗試喺日常生活當中用呢個語言。 (ngo5 soeng4 si3 hai2 jat6 soeng4 sang1 wut6 dong1 zung1 jung6 ni1 go3 jyu5 jin4.) “I try to use the language routinely in the context of daily life.”
Say you’re learning Cantonese and you can go to Chinatown, buy some vegetables, fruits. While you’re there, you can talk to the people in Cantonese, 幾錢呀? 平啲啦!(gei2 cin2 aa3? peng4 di1 laa1!) “How much is it? Give it to me for a cheaper price!”
5. 我將啲字同圖畫,相,同埋得意嘅場面聯繫起嚟。 (ngo5 zoeng1 di1 zi6 tung4 tou4 waa2, soeng2, tung4 maai4 dak1 ji3 ge3 coeng4 min2 lyun4 hai6 hei2 lai4.) “I associate words with drawings, pictures and funny scenes.”
Next tip is...我將啲字同圖畫,相,同埋得意嘅場面聯繫起嚟。 (ngo5 zoeng1 di1 zi6 tung4 tou4 waa2, soeng2, tung4 maai4 dak1 ji3 ge3 coeng4 min2 lyun4 hai6 hei2 lai4.) “I associate words with drawings, pictures and funny scenes.”
So you can make a funny story in your mind. Some people say the character for a “little” is like a little penguin walking. Link it with any image especially with the Chinese characters, they are just like paintings. That would really help.
6. 我聽歌然後記住啲歌詞。 (ngo5 teng1 go1 jin4 hau6 gei3 zyu6 di1 go1 ci4.) “I listen to songs and memorize the lyrics.”
Next...我聽歌然後記住啲歌詞。 (ngo5 teng1 go1 jin4 hau6 gei3 zyu6 di1 go1 ci4.) “I listen to songs and memorize the lyrics.”
That’s actually a very good way to learn your languages. Maybe not so much for English now that the songs are like work, work, work, work, work, work, work… a repetition of some meaningless words, I don’t know.
7. 盡量多閱讀,尤其係報紙,可以幫我記住啲單詞。 (zeon6 loeng6 do1 jyut6 duk6, jau4 kei4 hai6 bou3 zi2, ho2 ji3 bong1 ngo5 gei3 zyu6 di1 daan1 ci4.) “Reading as much as possible, especially the newspaper, helps me to remember words.”
Next tip is...盡量多閱讀,尤其係報紙,可以幫我記住啲單詞。 (zeon6 loeng6 do1 jyut6 duk6, jau4 kei4 hai6 bou3 zi2, ho2 ji3 bong1 ngo5 gei3 zyu6 di1 daan1 ci4.) “Reading as much as possible, especially the newspaper, helps me to remember words.”
While you’re reading the articles or the newspaper, there are always some characters, some terms that you can pick out and that would help the word sit in your mind.
8. 我成日睇嗰啲為小朋友而設嘅電視或者YouTube影片。 (ngo5 sing4 jat6 tai2 go2 di1 wai4 siu2 pang4 jau5 ji4 cit3 ge3 din6 si6 waak6 ze2 YouTube jing2 pin2.) “I often watch TV or YouTube videos that are designed for young children.”
Next tip is... 我成日睇嗰啲為小朋友而設嘅電視或者YouTube影片。 (ngo5 sing4 jat6 tai2 go2 di1 wai4 siu2 pang4 jau5 ji4 cit3 ge3 din6 si6 waak6 ze2 YouTube jing2 pin2.) “I often watch TV or YouTube videos that are designed for young children.”
Why those for young children because they’re easier and they’re slower and they are clean and they are easier for learners to absorb new information.
9. 我將新嘅單詞同自己母語入面差唔多發音嘅字聯繫一齊。 (ngo5 zoeng1 san1 ge3 daan1 ci4 tung4 zi6 gei2 mou5 jyu5 jap6 min6 caa1 m4 do1 faat3 jam1 ge3 zi6 lyun4 hai6 jat1 cai4.) “I associate new words with words that sound similar in my native language.”
Next one is...我將新嘅單詞同自己母語入面差唔多發音嘅字聯繫一齊。 (ngo5 zoeng1 san1 ge3 daan1 ci4 tung4 zi6 gei2 mou5 jyu5 jap6 min6 caa1 m4 do1 faat3 jam1 ge3 zi6 lyun4 hai6 jat1 cai4.) “I associate new words with words that sound similar in my native language.”
That is very helpful. It’s even easier for Cantonese because we have so many words that came from English. For example, 巴士 (baa1 si2) “bus” came from English, bus, and “strawberries” 士多啤梨 (si6 do1 be1 lei2). “Cherries” is 車厘子 (ce1 lei4 zi2) so that’s how a lot of Cantonese words were made.
10. 我嘗試用廣東話嚟諗嘢,令到我嘅思考過程自然啲。 (ngo5 soeng4 si3 jung6 gwong2 dung1 waa2 lei2 lam2 je5, ling6 dou3 ngo5 ge3 si1 haau2 gwo3 cing4 zi6 jin4 di1.) “I try to think in Cantonese, so it becomes natural to my thought process.”
Next tip is...我嘗試用廣東話嚟諗嘢,令到我嘅思考過程自然啲。 (ngo5 soeng4 si3 jung6 gwong2 dung1 waa2 lei2 lam2 je5, ling6 dou3 ngo5 ge3 si1 haau2 gwo3 cing4 zi6 jin4 di1.) “I try to think in Cantonese, so it becomes natural to my thought process.”
If you are thinking in a new language that really helps you in building up the grammar or the syntax everything about the language.
So please try these tips. They will help you remember the new words you’re learning in other language. Please subscribe so we have more fun videos for you in Cantonese with me, Olivia. Also check out the wordlist on CantoneseClass101.com and I’ll see you next time. Bye!

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