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請問紅館喺邊個出口呀？
cing2 man6 hung4 gun2 hai2 bin1 go3 ceot1 hau2 aa3?
cing2 man6 hung4 gun2 hai2 bin1 go3 ceot1 hau2 aa3?
Grammar and Vocabulary
In the Grammar and Vocabulary section, you will learn:
- Language of Announcements
- Introduction to Relative Clauses
- The Verbal Particle 返 / 番 / 翻 faan1 IV
- Vocabulary List
- Vocabulary: In a Subway Station
48.1 Language of Announcements
When taking the subway, we often hear different kinds of announcements. The language used in announcements is more formal than the language we use in everyday conversations.
Announcements often include some more formal vocabulary. Below are some examples.
Also, when some location expressions are put after a reference point, their short forms will be used instead. The short forms are usually the first syllable of the expressions (e.g., 上邊 soeng6 bin6 → 上 soeng6 ‘above, on’).
Announcements sometimes also include some more formal sentence structures. For example, in Grammar and Vocabulary 28.5, we learned that we put the adverb 先 sin1 (‘first’) after the verb or the object if there is one, which is what we usually do in everyday conversations. However, in announcements, we will often hear that 先 sin1 is put before the verb.
請先讓車上乘客落車。
cing2 sin1 joeng6 ce1 soeng6 sing6 haak3 lok6 ce1.
Please give way to passengers on the train to get off first.
The adverb 先 sin1 (‘first’) is put before the verb 讓 joeng6 (‘to give way’).
48.2 Introduction to Relative Clauses
We will learn the basics of relative clauses so that you can understand them if you come across them, but we won’t go into the details of how to use them in this book.
Relative clauses are used to modify nouns. A relative clause provides more information about a noun and helps us identify what the noun refers to.
Below is an example of a relative clause in English. In English, a relative clause is put after the noun it modifies.
Take the trains which go to Central.
The noun trains on its own can refer to any trains. The relative clause which go to Central provides more information about the noun and indicates that it refers to the ones which go to Central.
In Cantonese, a relative clause is put before the noun it modifies. We can use the particle 嘅 ge3 to connect the relative clause and the noun.
The noun 車 ce1 on its own can refer to any trains. The relative clause 去中環方向 heoi3 zung1 waan4 fong1 hoeng3 provides details about the noun and indicates that it refers to the ones which go to Central.We can also use 嗰 go2 (‘that’) and a classifier to connect the relative clause and the noun.
The noun 扶手電梯 fu4 sau2 din6 tai1 on its own can refer to any escalators. The relative clause 直上大堂 zik6 soeng5 daai6 tong4 provides details about the noun and indicates that it refers to the one which goes straight up to the concourse.48.3 The Verbal Particle 返 / 番 / 翻 faan1 IV
In Grammar and Vocabulary 32.5, we learned that the verb particle 返 faan1 (also written as 番 or 翻) can add the meaning of ‘left’ to the sentence. In Grammar and Vocabulary 34.4 and 39.4, we learned that the 返 faan1 can also add the meaning of ‘back’ to the sentence.
The verb particle 返 faan1 has a more abstract use. We sometimes use 返 faan1 with an action to indicate that the action is good for the listener or the speaker ourselves. Note that we usually only use 返 faan1 this way in certain expressions.
For example, in Hong Kong, we use a stored-value card called the Octopus card. When we top up the Octopus card at a store, the shopkeeper will sometimes say the following expression before we leave.
留意返餘額。
lau4 ji3 faan1 jyu4 ngaak2.
Pay attention to the remaining value [the balance of the Octopus card].
The verb particle 返 faan1 is added here to indicate that the action 留意餘額 lau4 ji3 jyu4 ngaak2 (‘to pay attention to the remaining value’) is good for the listener. 留意餘額 lau4 ji3 jyu4 ngaak2 is good for the listener because the listener can check whether their card has been topped up successfully.
We will see more examples in later lessons.
48.4 Vocabulary List
48.5 Vocabulary: In a Subway Station
Communication
In the Communication section, you will learn:
- Topping Up the Octopus Card
- Taking the Subway
Topping Up the Octopus Card
The Octopus card is a stored-value card widely used in Hong Kong. We can use it to pay fares or make purchases at stores. We tap it on a card reader to pay. We can top up the Octopus card at subway stations, convenient stores and supermarkets.
When topping up the Octopus card, we need to indicate the amount we want to top up.
The shopkeeper will sometimes repeat the amount for confirmation.
When we can tap our card on the card reader, the shopkeeper will say:
If the card reader can’t detect our card, the shopkeeper will say:
When we have tapped the card successfully, there will be a beeping sound:
機:
After that, the shopkeeper will sometimes remind us to check the remaining value (the balance of the Octopus card).
Taking the Subway
If we are not sure how to take the subway, we can ask the station staff for help.
If the station we are currently at has more than one railway line, the staff will usually indicate which line we should take.
During our subway journey, we will hear different kinds of announcements. Below are some common ones.
Before a train arrives at the platform, we will hear:
- 往堅尼地城 wong5 gin1 nei4 dei6 sing4 is supposed to be a relative clause that modifies the noun 列車 lit6 ce1, but 嘅 ge3 is not added to connect the relative clause and the noun here for some reason (🤔 maybe because omitting 嘅 ge3 makes the announcement shorter).
When the train is about to close the doors before leaving the platform, we will hear:
When the train approaches the next station, we will hear:
If it is an interchange station, the announcement will indicate which lines we can change to.
The announcement will sometimes indicate whether the doors will open on the left or right. 左邊 zo2 bin6 (‘left’) and 右邊 jau6 bin6 (‘right’) are usually pronounced as zo2 bin1 and jau6 bin1 (bin in Tone 1) in subway announcements.
The subway stations in Hong Kong usually have lots of exits that connect to different places. If we are not sure which exit we should go to, we can ask the station staff for help.
Culture
The official Chinese name of Hong Kong Coliseum is 香港體育館 hoeng1 gong2 tai2 juk6 gun2. But Hong Kong Cantonese speaker usually refer it as 紅磡體育館 hung4 ham3 tai2 juk6 gun2 (‘Hung Hom Coliseum’) or by the contracted form 紅館 hung4 gun2, because it is located in 紅磡 hung4 ham3 (‘Hung Hom’). 紅館 hung4 gun2 is a famous venue for hosting singing concerts. Hosting a concert in 紅館 hung4 gun2 is often considered a milestone in a singer’s career.