Cantonese Chinese · Cantonese Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 37
一齊去飲茶吖！Let's go for yum cha together!
Suggesting with 吖 and asking yes-no questions with 嗎; "that's how it is" with 㗎; ordering a drink cold or hot, with no ice.
Dialogue
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一齊去飲茶吖！— Let's go for yum cha together!
- KaYanMike，星期日一齊去飲茶吖！Mike, let's go for yum cha together on Sunday!
- Mike好呀！阿明都去嗎？Sure! Is Ah Ming coming too?
- KaYan佢要返工。我屋企人都去。He has to work. My family are coming too.
- Mike你屋企人？我驚呀！Your family? I'm nervous!
- KaYan唔使驚！佢哋星期日都去飲茶㗎。Don't be! They go for yum cha every Sunday.
- Mike我唔識講點心嘅名……I can't say the names of the dim sum…
- KaYan唔緊要。你應該試吓蝦餃。Never mind. You should try har gow.
- Mike蝦餃……蝦餃。好，我記得喇！Har gow… har gow. OK, got it!
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凍飲定係熱飲呀？— Cold or hot?
- AhMing兩位，飲乜嘢呀？What will you two have to drink?
- KaYan一杯奶茶，唔該。A milk tea, please.
- AhMing凍飲定係熱飲呀？Cold or hot?
- KaYan熱飲。Hot.
- Mike我要凍奶茶，走冰！I'll have a cold milk tea, no ice!
- KaYanMike，你識講走冰喇！Mike, you can say 走冰 now!
- Mike係呀，我學咗㗎！Yes, I've learned it!
- AhMing好。你哋星期日做乜嘢呀？OK. What are you two doing on Sunday?
- KaYan我哋去飲茶。We're going for yum cha.
- AhMing飲茶？你哋冇請我！Yum cha? You didn't invite me!
- KaYan你要返工㗎！You're working, remember!
Vocabulary
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- 吖
particlefriendly suggestion or request particle (一齊去飲茶吖！)
- 嗎
particleyes-no question particle (阿明都去嗎？)
- 㗎
particle"that's how it is" particle (我學咗㗎！)
- 應該
verbshould
- 凍飲
nouncold drink
- 熱飲
nounhot drink
- 走冰
phr.no ice
New characters
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- 吖
friendly suggestion particle
- 嗎
yes-no question particle
- 㗎
"that's how it is" particle
- 走
to leave; to go without (in 走冰 "no ice")
- 冰
ice
Grammar
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Suggesting with 吖, asking with 嗎
Explanation
吖 at the end of a sentence makes a friendly suggestion or request: 星期日一齊去飲茶吖！ "let's go for yum cha together on Sunday!" 嗎 at the end turns a statement into a yes-no question: 阿明都去嗎？ "is Ah Ming coming too?" You already ask yes-no questions with A-not-A (去唔去？, chapters 3 and 10); 嗎 is another way.
Examples
- 一齊食飯吖！Let's eat together!
- 你飲咖啡嗎？Do you drink coffee?
- 佢係學生嗎？Is she a student?
Grammar
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"That's how it is": 㗎
Explanation
㗎 at the end of a sentence adds "that's how it is": it gives something as a plain fact, like an explanation. Ka-yan: 佢哋星期日都去飲茶㗎 "they go for yum cha every Sunday". Mike uses it too: 我學咗㗎！ "I've learned it!" And Ka-yan reminds Ah Ming: 你要返工㗎！ "you're working, remember!"
Examples
- 呢對鞋好貴㗎！These shoes are expensive, you know!
- 香港好熱㗎。Hong Kong is hot, you know.
- 佢係我哥哥㗎。He's my brother, you see.
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