Learn what to say in Cantonese when reserving a table at a Cantonese restaurant
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| 大家好(daai6 gaa1 hou2)! Hello and welcome to Cantonese Survival phrases brought to you by cantoneseclass101.com, my name is Nicole and I will be your language teacher and culture guide throughout this course. This course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to Hong Kong or anywhere else in the Cantonese world. You will be surprised at how far a little Cantonese will go. Now before we jump in, remember to stop by cantoneseclass101.com and there you will find the accompanying PDF and additional info in this post. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment. |
| Cantonese survival phrases, lesson 12. Restaurant II. In the last lesson, we learned how to get a table at a restaurant but my dear listeners, please know that because of the popularity of Hong Kong’s food, it can be difficult to get a seat especially on weekends. The best thing to do without a doubt is to make a reservation for the time you want to go and eat. In today’s lesson, we will cover making a reservation in a restaurant. Normally, if you make a phone call in order to make a reservation for the evening, you will say 唔該,我想訂枱(m4 goi1, ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2). Let’s hear it once again slowly 唔 該, 我 想 訂 枱(m4 goi1, ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2). 唔該(m4 goi1) means please. We follow this with 我想(ngo5 soeng2) which in English means, I want. Let’s hear it again 我想(ngo5 soeng2). The first sound is 我(ngo5) which means I 我(ngo5). 想(soeng2) which means want, to want to do something, want 想(soeng2), 想(soeng2). Now this is a high rising tone. Say it like you are asking a question 想(soeng2). Together it sounds like 我想(ngo5 soeng2). I want and you can use this structure whenever you want to say you want to do something. 我想(ngo5 soeng2) do this. 我想(ngo5 soeng2) do that. And in this lesson 我想訂枱(ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2) I want to book a table or I want to make a reservation. 訂(deng6) is the verb to book or to subscribe 訂(deng6). You can 訂枱(deng6 toi2) book a table or 訂雜誌(deng6 zaap6 zi3) subscribe to a magazine 訂雜誌(deng6 zaap6 zi3). Let’s hear, to book a table again 訂枱(deng6 toi2), 訂枱(deng6 toi2). 枱(toi2) literally means a table 枱(toi2), 枱(toi2). Now we normally pronounce 枱(toi2) in the lowest tone 枱(toi6) but in this case, there is a slightly tone change 枱(toi2). So table changed from 枱(toi6) to枱(toi2). You just have to remember 訂枱(deng6 toi2) as a set phrase. 訂枱(deng6 toi2) to book a table, to make a reservation 訂枱(deng6 toi2). Now let’s hear the whole sentence again 唔該,我想訂枱(m4 goi1, ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2), 唔該,我想訂枱(m4 goi1, ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2). Please, I want to make a reservation. Normally they will ask you how many people are there in your party at the time of the reservation. How many people are you as we’ve learned in our last lesson is 幾多位(gei2 do1 wai2), 幾多位(gei2 do1 wai2) which literally means how many seats 幾多位(gei2 do1 wai2). Now let’s imagine you are a party of two. In Cantonese, you would use 兩位(loeng5 wai2), 兩位(loeng5 wai2) which means two seats or two people 兩位(loeng5 wai2),兩位(loeng5 wai2). Finally let’s see how to ask you the time of your reservation 幾點(gei2 dim2), 幾點(gei2 dim2) which means what time and you can use this phrase to ask other people what the time is or what time is it now 幾點(gei2 dim2), 幾點(gei2 dim2). Now you may hear people say 幾點啊(gei2 dim2 aa3). The extra 啊(aa3) sound in the end is typical way Cantonese speaks. 啊(aa3), 幾點啊(gei2 dim2 aa3), 幾多位啊(gei2 do1 wai2 aa3). It’s what it sounds. It doesn’t really mean anything. It’s a tone 幾點啊(gei2 dim2 aa3), 幾多位啊(gei2 do1 wai2 aa3). Now don’t be afraid to add this to your speech. You make your speech sound just like the locals. Now let’s answer the question. Let’s imagine you want to reserve a table at 8 o’ clock 八點(baat3 dim2), 八點(baat3 dim2) 8 o’ clock and you will normally add a 唔該(m4 goi1) to the end 唔該(m4 goi1) which means please or thank you. 八點(baat3 dim2),唔該(m4 goi1), 八點(baat3 dim2), 唔該(m4 goi1) 8 o’ clock please. Now let’s break down 八點(baat3 dim2) a little bit. 八(baat3) is the number 8. 八(baat3) it’s a mid flat tone. 八(baat3) with a glottal stop at the end. 八點(baat3 dim2) is the same 點(dim2) as in the word 點心(dim2 sam1) or 幾點(gei2 dim2) which literally means a spot or a clock 點(dim2). 八點(baat3 dim2) 8 o’ clock. Now let’s go over the whole process of making a reservation. First, you want to make a reservation 唔該,我想訂枱(m4 goi1, ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2) and they will ask, how many people are you? 幾多位(gei2 do1 wai2). Let’s say you are a party of two. You are going out with your date. 兩位(loeng5 wai2),兩位(loeng5 wai2) And then they will ask you the time of your reservation 幾點啊(gei2 dim2 aa3), 幾點啊(gei2 dim2 aa3). And you want it to be 8 o’ clock 八點(baat3 dim2),唔該(m4 goi1), 八點(baat3 dim2), 唔該(m4 goi1). Then it’s done. You probably say 冇問題(mou3 man5 tai4) which means no problem. 冇問題(mou3 man5 tai4) no problem or okay. Hong Kong people like eating late at night. Eating before 8 PM is not so common. The biggest meal of the day is dinner and you’ll be eating and drinking a lot. Make sure you have lots of room in your belly so you can fully enjoy the Cantonese cuisine and restaurants, cafes and bars are usually open until early morning and many restaurants are open all night long. Basically you can easily find a restaurant in Hong Kong open at any time of the day. Okay to close our today’s lesson, we’d like you to practice what you’ve just learned. As always, I will provide you with the English translation and you are responsible for shouting them out loud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answers 加 油(gaa1 jau2)! Can I make a reservation? 唔該,我想訂枱(m4 goi1, ngo5 soeng2 deng6 toi2). How many people are you? 幾多位(gei2 do1 wai2) For two 兩位(loeng5 wai2). At what time do you want to reserve? 幾點啊(gei2 dim2 aa3). At 8 o’ clock please 八點(baat3 dim2),唔該(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. |
Easily master this lesson’s grammar points with in-depth explanations and examples. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Comments
Hide