Cantonese Chinese · Cantonese Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 34
我唔記得帶鎖匙！I forgot my keys!
Two ways to say sorry (對唔住, 唔好意思) and the replies (唔緊要, 冇問題); bringing your keys and wallet; opening and shutting the door; "don't" with 唔好.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
我唔記得帶鎖匙！— I forgot my keys!
- Mike黃太，唔好意思……Mrs Wong, sorry to bother you…
- WongTaaiMike？做乜嘢呀？Mike? What is it?
- Mike我唔記得帶鎖匙。門閂咗，我冇鎖匙開門！I forgot my keys. The door's shut, and I've no key to open it!
- WongTaai唔緊要。你喺我屋企等啦。Never mind. Wait at my place.
- Mike對唔住呀，黃太。I'm sorry, Mrs Wong.
- WongTaai冇問題！你帶咗銀包未呀？No problem! Did you bring your wallet?
- Mike銀包都冇帶！I didn't bring my wallet either!
- WongTaai你仲未食飯，係唔係？And you still haven't eaten, have you?
- Mike係呀……對唔住！No… I'm sorry!
- WongTaai唔好講對唔住！嚟食飯啦。Don't say sorry! Come and eat.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
對唔住！唔緊要。— Sorry! Never mind.
- AhMing對唔住！Sorry!
- Mike唔緊要……阿明？係你！Never mind… Ah Ming? It's you!
- AhMingMike！對唔住呀，我睇緊手機。Mike! Sorry, I was looking at my phone.
- Mike冇問題。你去邊度呀？No problem. Where are you going?
- AhMing我去街市。呢條路啱唔啱呀？To the market. Is this the right road?
- Mike唔啱，錯咗！街市喺後面。No, wrong way! The market is behind you.
- AhMing哦！唔該！Oh! Thanks!
- Mike行路唔好睇手機呀！Don't look at your phone while you walk!
Vocabulary
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
- 帶
verbto bring, to take along
- 鎖匙
nounkey
- 銀包
nounwallet
- 開
verbto open; to turn on
- 閂
verbto close, to shut; to turn off
- 對唔住
phr.sorry (an apology)
- 唔好意思
phr.excuse me; sorry (a little embarrassed)
- 唔緊要
phr.never mind, it doesn't matter
- 冇問題
phr.no problem
- 仲
adverbstill; also
- 錯
adjectivewrong
- 啱
adjectiveright, correct
- 唔好
adverbdon't (before a verb)
New characters
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
- 思
thought (in 意思 "meaning")
- 帶
to bring; belt
- 鎖
lock
- 匙
key (in 鎖匙)
- 閂
to shut, to bolt
- 問
to ask
- 題
topic, question (in 問題)
- 銀
silver; money (in 銀包)
- 仲
still; also
Grammar
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Two ways to say sorry: 對唔住, 唔好意思
Explanation
對唔住 is an apology: you did something wrong, so you say 對唔住. Ah Ming walks into Mike and says 對唔住！ 唔好意思 is lighter, like "sorry to bother you": for getting someone's attention, asking something, or when you feel a little embarrassed. Mike knocks on Mrs Wong's door: 黃太，唔好意思…… Both can take 呀 to sound softer: 對唔住呀.
Examples
- 對唔住，我錯咗。I'm sorry, I was wrong.
- 唔好意思，廁所喺邊度呀？Excuse me, where's the toilet?
- 對唔住呀，我冇帶銀包。I'm so sorry, I didn't bring my wallet.
Grammar
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
The replies: 唔緊要, 冇問題
Explanation
When someone says 對唔住 or 唔好意思, you can answer 唔緊要 "never mind, it doesn't matter". 冇問題 is "no problem": the request is easy, so yes. When someone asks whether they can do something, 冇問題 is a good answer. Mrs Wong uses both: 唔緊要 when Mike has no keys, 冇問題 when he waits at her place.
Examples
- 對唔住！唔緊要。Sorry! Never mind.
- 我可唔可以坐呢度呀？冇問題！May I sit here? No problem!
- 唔好意思，我遲咗。唔緊要！Sorry, I'm late. Never mind!
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →