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我着開中碼嘅。
ngo5 zoek3 hoi1 zung1 maa5 ge3.
ngo5 zoek3 hoi1 zung1 maa5 ge3.
Grammar and Vocabulary
In the Grammar and Vocabulary section, you will learn:
- Clothing Sizes
- The Aspect Particle 開 hoi1 (Habitual)
- The Aspect Particle 咗 zo2 with Predicative Adjectives II
- Modifying Nouns with Nouns
- Indicating Attributes of Items
- Vocabulary List
- Vocabulary: Commenting on Clothing Size
- Vocabulary: Colors
52.1 Clothing Sizes
To refer to clothing sizes like ‘large size’ and ‘medium size’, we first say the adjective (e.g., 大 daai6 ‘large’, 中 zung1 ‘medium’), and then the word 碼 maa5 (‘size’).
To refer to clothing sizes like ‘extra large size’ and ‘extra small size’, we add the word 加 gaa1 (‘extra’, literally ‘to add’) before the adjective.
We can use more than one 加 gaa1 to refer to larger sizes.
Below is a list of clothing sizes. Hong Kong Cantonese speakers also often indicate clothing sizes in English.
To ask for someone’s size, we can use these questions:
| A: | 你着咩碼嘅？ nei5 zoek3 me1 maa5 ge2? What size do you wear? 你着邊個碼嘅？ nei5 zoek3 bin1 go3 maa5 ge2? Which size do you wear? |
| B: | 我着中碼嘅。 ngo5 zoek3 zung1 maa5 ge3. I wear medium size. |
For pants sizes, we sometimes use the waist circumference. We first say the number and then the measurement unit classifier 吋 cyun3 (‘inch’).
We sometimes add the word 腰 jiu1 (‘waist’) after the measurement to indicate that we are talking about a waist circumference.
We can use the following sentence structures to indicate our waist circumference. Notice we put the person and the measurement next to each other, without adding any verbs in between. These sentence structures have a predicate without a verb (see Grammar and Vocabulary 12.4).
To ask for someone’s waist circumference, we can combine 幾多 gei2 do1 / 幾 gei2 (‘how many, how much’) with 吋 cyun3 to form the question expression 幾多吋 gei2 do1 cyun3 / 幾吋 gei2 cyun3 (‘how many inches’).
| A: | 你幾多吋腰嘅？ nei5 gei2 do1 cyun3 jiu1 ge2? 你幾吋腰嘅？ nei5 gei2 cyun3 jiu1 ge2? How many inches is your waist? |
| B: | 我三十吋腰嘅。 ngo5 saam1 sap6 cyun3 jiu1 ge3. My waist is 30 inches. |
| A: | 你腰圍幾多吋嘅？ nei5 jiu1 wai4 gei2 do1 cyun3 ge2? 你腰圍幾吋嘅？ nei5 jiu1 wai4 gei2 cyun3 ge2? How many inches is your waist circumference? |
| B: | 我腰圍三十吋嘅。 ngo5 jiu1 wai4 saam1 sap6 cyun3 ge3. My waist circumference is 30 inches. |
For shoe sizes, we first say the number and then the classifier 號 hou6 (‘number’).
To indicate a half size, we put the word 半 bun3 (‘half’) after 號 hou6.
We sometimes add the word 鞋 haai4 (‘shoe’) after the size to indicate that we are talking about a shoe size.
To ask for someone’s shoes size, we can combine 幾多 gei2 do1 / 幾 gei2 (‘how many, how much’) with 號 hou6 to form the question expression 幾多號 gei2 do1 hou6 / 幾號 gei2 hou6 (‘what number’).
| A: | 你着幾多號鞋嘅？ nei5 zoek3 gei2 do1 hou6 haai4 ge2? 你着幾號鞋嘅？ nei5 zoek3 gei2 hou6 haai4 ge2? What number do you wear for shoes? |
| B: | 我着八號鞋嘅。 ngo5 zoek3 baat3 hou6 haai4 ge3. I wear Number 8 for shoes. |
52.2 The Aspect Particle 開 hoi1 (Habitual)
We can use the aspect particle 開 hoi1 to indicate that we do an action habitually. The aspect particle 開 hoi1 often adds the meaning of ‘usually’ to a sentence. In grammar, this aspect is called the habitual aspect.
我着開中碼嘅。
ngo5 zoek3 hoi1 zung1 maa5 ge3.
I usually wear medium size.
我着開七號半鞋嘅。
ngo5 zoek3 hoi1 cat1 hou6 bun3 haai4 ge3.
I usually wear Number 7.5 for shoes.
In Grammar and Vocabulary 41.3, we learned the adverb of frequency 通常 tung1 soeng4 (‘usually’). 開 hoi1 and 通常 tung1 soeng4 add similar meaning to a sentence. We can often use them interchangeably.
我着開中碼嘅。
ngo5 zoek3 hoi1 zung1 maa5 ge3.
I usually wear medium size.
我通常着中碼嘅。
ngo5 tung1 soeng4 zoek3 zung1 maa5 ge3.
I usually wear medium size.
Note that, however, there is a subtle difference between 開 hoi1 and 通常 tung1 soeng4. We usually use 開 hoi1 for habits that have developed over time, while we usually use 通常 tung1 soeng4 when we are simply indicating how frequently something is done.
52.3 The Aspect Particle 咗 zo2 with Predicative Adjectives II
In Grammar and Vocabulary 51.2, we learned that we can use the aspect particle 咗 zo2 with a predicative adjective to add the meaning of ‘to have become’ or ‘to have become more’ to a sentence. We also learned that we can add an adverb after 咗 zo2 to indicate the degree of the quality.
We sometimes use the aspect particle 咗 zo2 with a predicative adjective and an adverb to indicate how much something is different from what is suitable (e.g., medium size is a bit larger than suitable).
To soften the statement and make it sound less firm, we can add 好似 hou2 ci5 (‘seem’) before the adjective and 噉 gam2 (‘seem’) after the adverb.
52.4 Modifying Nouns with Nouns
In Grammar and Vocabulary 21.2, we learned that we can put an attributive adjective before a noun to modify the noun. We also learned that we use the particle 嘅 ge3 to link the attributive adjective and the noun.
Instead of using an adjective, we can also put a noun before 嘅 ge3 to modify the noun after it. When 嘅 ge3 is added after the first noun, the first noun functions like an adjective and can be used to modify the second noun. The first noun often indicates an attribute of the second noun (e.g., the color or size).
We can put a question expression (e.g., 乜嘢色 mat1 je5 sik1 / 咩色 me1 sik1 ‘what color’) at the position of the first noun to ask about an attribute (e.g., the color).
| A: | 呢件衫可以襯咩色嘅褲呀？ ni1 gin6 saam1 ho2 ji5 can3 me1 sik1 ge3 fu3 aa3? What color pants can this top match? |
| B: | 可以襯白色嘅褲或者卡其色嘅褲。 ho2 ji5 can3 baak6 sik1 ge3 fu3 waak6 ze2 kaa1 kei4 sik1 ge3 fu3. It can match white pants or khaki pants. |
52.5 Indicating Attributes of Items
In Grammar and Vocabulary 21.2, we learned to use an attributive adjective to modify a noun.
We can say only the attributive adjective with 嘅 ge3 to mean ‘a … one’ or ‘… ones’.
In Grammar and Vocabulary 52.4, we also learned to use a noun to modify another noun.
We can also say only the first noun with 嘅 ge3 to mean ‘a … one’ or ‘… ones’.
To mean ‘this one is a … one’ or ‘these … are … ones’, we can use the following two sentence structures. We often use these sentence structures to indicate the attribute of the items we have in our hands, such as their color, size or whether they’re new or a display item.
The first sentence structure is a sentence with the verb 係 hai6 (‘to be’). The subject complement will be the adjective or the noun with 嘅 ge3. If the number is 一 jat1 (‘one’), we can optionally omit the number.
The second sentence structure is a sentence that has a predicate without verbs (See Grammar and Vocabulary 12.4). The adjective or the noun with 嘅 ge3 will be the predicate on its own. If the number is 一 jat1 (‘one’), we can optionally omit the number.
52.6 Vocabulary List
52.7 Vocabulary: Commenting on Clothing Size
52.8 Vocabulary: Colors
Communication
In the Communication section, you will learn:
- Trying on Clothes
Trying on Clothes
When shopping for clothes in a store, we often try on an item in different sizes and colors to see which suits us best.
If we can’t find an item in our size, we can approach a shop assistant and ask for help.
A few moments later…
If we want to find out what colors are available for a particular design, we can ask:
In some stores, we will take clothes to the fitting room and try them on ourselves. If we can’t find the fitting room, we can ask the shop assistant.
Before entering the fitting room, the shop assistant may ask how many items we want to try on.
After trying on the items, the shop assistant may ask if the items are okay. If we decide to buy them, we can keep the items and take them to the cashier.
If we decide not to buy an item, we can say:
- When the sentence has the adverb 唔 m4 (‘not’), the meaning of the sentence particle 喇 laa3 changes from ‘already’ to ‘anymore’.
In other stores, we may need to inform the shop assistant if we want to try on an item.
The shop assistant will then ask for our size.
Tops
Pants
Shoes
If we are not sure about our size, we can ask the shop assistant to take our measurements.
Sometimes, the shop assistant will take our measurements directly without first checking if we know them.
The shop assistant will then go to get the item in our size.
A few moments later…
Sometimes, the shop assistant will give us our size in a different color to try on first.
After we have tried the item on, the shop assistant will check if the size suits us.
Route A: Suitable
Route B: Not suitable
If we want to try another size, we can say:
If we want to try another color, we can say:
A few moments later…
If we want to know which color goes well with an item, we can ask:
If we don’t like the item after trying it on, we can say:
If we need more time to think before deciding, we can say:
If we decide to buy the item, we can say:
If we want to check if there is a new one, we can say:
Route A: Available
A few moments later…
Route B: Not Available
- The expression 尖沙咀間分店 zim1 saa1 zeoi2 gaan1 fan1 dim3 means ‘the branch in Tsim Sha Tsui’. This expression is similar to expressions like 前邊間舖 cin4 bin6 gaan1 pou3 (‘the shop in front’) and 左邊間舖 zo2 bin6 gaan1 pou3 (‘the shop on the left’) (See Grammar and Vocabulary 37.2). The only difference is that we put a place name instead of a location expression before the classifier.