Learn how to ask where you can find something
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| Cantonese Survival phrases, lesson 30. Is There a Store Near Here? In our last lesson, we learned how to ask for something. Today we will learn another useful phrase for finding places. This phrase is, is there x near here. Let’s say you are looking for a pharmacy. In Cantonese, this is 藥房(joek6 fong2), 藥房(joek6 fong2) pharmacy 藥房(joek6 fong2) and you also hear people say 藥房(joek6 fong4) with a slightly lower tone 藥房(joek6 fong4) pharmacy. Let’s say you want to ask, is there a pharmacy near here 呢度有冇藥房？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4), 呢度有冇藥房？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4). Do you understand this sentence? 呢度有冇藥房？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) Is there a pharmacy near here? Let’s break this down. 呢 度 有 冇 藥 房？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) Let’s hear it one more time. 呢度有冇藥房？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) The first word 呢(ni1) means this and it’s followed by 度(dou6) which means place. 呢度(ni1 dou6) this place and it’s followed by 有冇(jau5 mou5) to have or not to have. 有冇(jau5 mou5) to have or not to have. And lastly we have 藥房(joek6 fong4) pharmacy or drug store. Technically, you are supposed to say 呢(ni1) when you want to say this 呢(ni1) but lots of Hong Kong people say 呢(li1), 呢(li1). This is the so called lazy accent where N is pronounced as L. 呢(ni1) is pronounced as 呢(li1). You hear this a lot especially in casual speech. 呢度有冇藥房？(li1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4), 呢度有冇藥房？(li1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) Is there a pharmacy? Is there a pharmacy near here? 呢度有冇藥房？(li1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) Now let’s break down 藥房(joek6 fong4) pharmacy. 藥(joek6) means medicine, 藥(joek6) medicine. 房(fong4) means boutique, 房(fong4) boutique. 藥房(joek6 fong4) pharmacy or drug store. 呢度有冇藥房？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) or 呢度有冇藥房？(li1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) This literally means, here have or have not a medicine boutique. 呢度有冇藥房？(li1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) Is there a pharmacy near here? 呢度有冇藥房？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) Now let’s practice with some other words we’ve seen in previous lessons. If you don’t know the words, check out the PDF on our website. It will help you a lot in your studying. Let’s say you want to ask, is there a cinema near here. First we have the word for cinema 戲院(hei3 jyun2), cinema 戲院(hei3 jyun2). Is there a cinema near here? 呢度有冇戲院？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 hei3 jyun2). Is there a cinema near here? 呢度有冇戲院？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 hei3 jyun2) Let’s say you want to ask, is there a supermarket near here. Supermarket in Cantonese is 超市(ciu1 si5), 超市(ciu1 si5). 呢度有冇超市？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 ciu1 si5). Is there a supermarket near here? 呢度有冇超市？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 ciu1 si5) Is there a supermarket near here? There is also another way of saying supermarket. That’s supermarket. Let’s say you want to ask for post office. Post office in Cantonese is 郵局(jau4 guk2), post office 郵局(jau4 guk2). Is there a post office near here? 呢度有冇郵局？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 jau4 guk2), 呢度有冇郵局？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 jau4 guk2) Let’s say you want to ask, is there a hospital near here. Hospital in Cantonese is 醫院(ji1 jyun2), hospital 醫院(ji1 jyun2). Is there a hospital near here ? 呢度有冇醫院?(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 ji1 jyun2) Is there a hospital near here? 呢度有冇醫院?(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 ji1 jyun2) Let’s say you want to ask, is there an ATM near here. ATM in Cantonese is 櫃員機(gwai6 jyun4 gei1), ATM 櫃員機(gwai6 jyun4 gei1). Is there an ATM near here ? 呢度有冇櫃員機?(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 gwai6 jyun4 gei1) Is there an ATM near here? 呢度有冇櫃員機?(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 gwai6 jyun4 gei1) In all the sentences, the only thing that changes is the thing you are looking for. |
| Let’s try practicing these sentences in a quick test. I will give you the English and you give us the Cantonese. Is there a pharmacy near here? 呢度有冇藥房？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 joek6 fong4) Is there a cinema near here? 呢度有冇戲院？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 hei3 jyun2) Is there a supermarket near here? 呢度有冇超市？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 ciu1 si5) Is there a post office near here? 呢度有冇郵局？(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 jau4 guk2) Is there a hospital near here? 呢度有冇醫院?(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 ji1 jyun2) Is there an ATM near here? 呢度有冇櫃員機?(ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 gwai6 jyun4 gei1) All right, that’s 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. |
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