Dialogue

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Lesson Transcript

Cantonese Survival phrases, lesson 33. Can I take your picture? In last lesson, we talked about taking pictures. Today we are going to talk a bit more about this. If you remember, last class we taught you how to say can you take my picture 可唔可以幫我影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 ngo5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2). Can you take my picture ?可唔可以幫我影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 ngo5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2) But what happens if you meet someone really special. Maybe you want to take their photo. In Cantonese, this is 可唔可以幫你影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 nei5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2) Can I take your picture? 可唔可以幫你影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 nei5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2) The only sound that changes here is you 你(nei5). 我(ngo5) becomes 你(nei5). Can I take your picture? 可唔可以幫你影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 nei5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2) This lesson, we are going to practice using 可唔可以(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ). Let’s say, you want to take someone out for dinner. You can say 可唔可以請你食餐飯?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 sik6 caan1 faan6). Can I take you for dinner? 可唔可以請你食餐飯?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 sik6 caan1 faan6). Can I take you for dinner. This is very close to the sentence we learned in the beginning of our lesson today. 可唔可以幫你影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 nei5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2) Can I take your picture? 可唔可以(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ) means can or cannot. 可唔可以請你食餐飯?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 sik6 caan1 faan6). Can I buy you dinner? 請(ceng2) means to treat. 可唔可以請你食餐飯?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 sik6 caan1 faan6). We learned 你(nei5) in the last lesson. 你(nei5) means you, 你(nei5) you. In the casual speech, you might hear people say 你(lei5) that’s okay too, 你(lei5). Let’s go back to the sentence. 可唔可以請你食餐飯?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 sik6 caan1 faan6). Can I buy you dinner. 食飯(sik6 faan6) means to have food, 食飯(sik6 faan6) to have food. 可唔可以請你食餐飯?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 sik6 caan1 faan6). In the beginning of our lesson today, we learned, can I take your picture 可唔可以幫你影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 nei5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2). Notice how close these sentences are! 可唔可以幫你影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 nei5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2), 可唔可以請你食餐飯?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 sik6 caan1 faan6), 可唔可以幫我影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 ngo5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2). Do you remember the last sentence? 可唔可以幫我影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 ngo5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2). Can you take my picture? Now let’s practice with another useful phrase. Can I buy you a drink? To buy a drink is 飲杯嘢(jam2 bui1 je5), 飲杯嘢(jam2 bui1 je5). So to buy a drink for you is 請你飲杯嘢(ceng2 nei5 jam2 bui1 je5). Can I buy a drink for you? 可唔可以請你飲杯嘢?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 jam2 bui1 je5) Let’s hear it again. 可唔可以請你飲杯嘢?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 jam2 bui1 je5) Can I buy a drink for you?
Great. Now you know how to ask for permissions to take pictures or invite someone to dinner or out for drinks and now it’s time for our regular test. I will give you the English and you give us the Cantonese. Can I take your picture 可唔可以幫你影張相?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 bong1 nei5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2) Can I buy you dinner? 可唔可以請你食餐飯?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 sik6 caan1 faan6) Can I buy a drink for you? 可唔可以請你飲杯嘢?(ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 ceng2 nei5 jam2 bui1 je5) 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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