Cantonese Chinese · Cantonese Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 16
而家幾點？What time is it now?
Telling the time: 幾點？ — 兩點半, 四點鐘; the time goes before the verb: 三點上堂 "class at three"; plus now, minutes, early, late, time.
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而家幾點？— What time is it now?
- Mike家欣，而家幾點呀？Ka-yan, what time is it now?
- KaYan兩點半。Half past two.
- Mike兩點半？我上堂三點。Half past two? I class at three. (he puts the time after the verb)
- KaYan你三點上堂？你有時間呀。You have class at three? You've got time.
- Mike係，三點上堂。我有三十分鐘。Yes, class at three. I have thirty minutes.
- KaYan何老師成日都好早。Ms Ho is always very early.
- Mike我都想早啲！I want to be early too!
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好遲喇！— That's really late!
- Mike阿明，你幾點做嘢呀？Ah Ming, what time do you start work?
- AhMing我四點鐘做嘢。I start at four o'clock.
- Mike四點？而家四點半喇！Four? It's half past four now!
- AhMing乜嘢？好遲喇！What? That's really late!
- Mike你有冇時間飲杯咖啡？Have you got time for a coffee?
- AhMing冇時間喇！拜拜！No time now! Bye!
Vocabulary
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- 而家
adverbnow
- 點
nouno'clock (三點 "three o'clock")
- 點鐘
nouno'clock (on the hour)
- 幾點
pronounwhat time
- 半
numeralhalf (兩點半 "half past two")
- 分鐘
nounminute(s)
- 早
adjectiveearly
- 遲
adjectivelate
- 上堂
verbto go to class, to have a class
- 時間
nountime
New characters
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- 而
and; and yet (in 而家 "now")
- 半
half
- 上
to go up; to attend (in 上堂)
- 堂
hall; a class (in 上堂)
- 時
time; hour (in 時間)
- 分
minute; to divide (in 分鐘)
- 鐘
clock; bell (in 分鐘, 點鐘)
- 遲
late
Grammar
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Telling the time: 幾點？
Explanation
To say the time: number + 點. 三點 "three o'clock", 四點 "four o'clock". Exactly on the hour you can also say 四點鐘. For half past, add 半: 三點半 "half past three", 四點半 "half past four". Two o'clock is 兩點, not 二點: the number sits before 點 as it sits before a measure word, so it takes 兩 (chapter 7). To ask: 而家幾點呀？ "what time is it now?"
Examples
- 而家幾點呀？What time is it now?
- 五點鐘。Five o'clock.
- 兩點半。Half past two.
- 而家十點喇。It's ten o'clock now.
Grammar
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The time goes before the verb: 三點上堂
Explanation
When you say at what time something happens, the time goes BEFORE the verb: 我三點上堂 "I have class at three", 阿明四點做嘢 "Ah Ming works at four". It can go before or after 我: 三點我上堂 and 我三點上堂 are both right. It cannot go after the verb. Mike said "我上堂三點", and Ka-yan said it back: 三點上堂.
Examples
- 我三點上堂。I have class at three.
- 佢四點半做嘢。He starts work at half past four.
- 四點我飲奶茶。At four I have milk tea.
- 你幾點上堂呀？What time is your class?
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