Checking Out at a Store 💸

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After we have selected our items, we need to go to the counter to check out. If we are not sure where the counter is, we can ask:

店員 dim3 jyun4

haak3

1. 
請問收銀邊度
cing2 man6sau1 ngan2hai2bin1 dou6aa3?
may I askcashierbe atwhereSP
May I ask where the cashier is?
2. 
收銀嗰邊
sau1 ngan2hai2go2 bin6aa3.
cashierbe onthat sideSP
The cashier is on that side.

If a shop assistant is serving us, they will usually guide us to the counter.

3. 
呢邊俾錢
ni1 bin6bei2 cin2aa1.
this sidepaySP
This way to pay.

When queuing at the counter, we need to pay attention to the shop assistant’s signal for the next customer.

4. 
haa6jat1wai2.
nextoneCL
Next one.

The shop assistant will sometimes confirm the number of items with us first.

5. 
總共貨品
zung2 gung6loeng5gin6fo3 ban2ge2?
altogether2CLitemCL
Two items altogether?
6. 
hai6aa3.
beSP
Yes.

The shop assistant will sometimes take the last chance to tempt us into buying more.

7. 
nei5wui5m4wui5gaan2do1jat1joeng6je5ge2?
youwillnotwillchoosemoreoneCLthingSP
貨品八五折
maai5saam1gin6fo3 ban2jau5baat3 ng5 zit3wo3.
buythreeCLitemhave85% of original price [15% off]SP
Will you choose one more item? For buying three [items], there is 15% off.
8. 
其他
nei5wui5m4wui5gaan2maai4kei4 taa1je5ge2?
youwillnotwillchooseVPotherthingSP
一千一百
maai5jat1 cin1man1gaam2jat1 baak3man1wo3.
spend1000dollardeduct100dollarSP
Will you choose other things as well?
For spending $1000, we deduct $100.

Route A: Temptation failed

9. 
唔使唔該
m4 sai2laa3,m4 goi1.
not need toSPthank you
I don’t need it. Thank you.

Route B: Temptation succeeded

10. 
hou2aa3,gam2ngo5zoi3tai2haa5sin1.
goodSPthenyouagainlookVPfirst
Good. [= Okay.] Then, I will have a look again first.

A few moments later…

11. 
唔該
jiu3maai4ni1saam1gin6aa1m4 goi1.
wantVPthis3CLSPplease
I want these three as well, please.
12. 
其他唔該
mou5kei4 taa1je5laa3,m4 goi1.
not haveotherthingSPthank you
There are no other things already. Thank you.

The shop assistant will sometimes ask us to check the items.

13. 
問題
nei5tai2jat1tai2jau5mou5man6 tai4aa1.
youlookonelookhavenot haveproblemSP
Have a look to see if there are any problems.
  • We can put a question-like clause after the verb 睇 tai2 (‘to look’). We will learn more about it in later books.

If we want to check the items but the shop assistant doesn’t ask, we can say:

14. 
唔該可以checkcheck
m4 goi1ho2m4ho2 ji5bei2ngo5checkjat1checkaa3?
pleasecannotcangivemecheckonecheckSP
Can you give it to me to have a check, please?
15. 
checkcheck
hou2aa3,nei5checkjat1checkaa1.
goodSPyoucheckonecheckSP
Sure. Have a check.

If there are no problems, we can say:

16. 
問題唔該
mou5man6 tai4aa3,m4 goi1.
not haveproblemSPthank you
There are no problems. Thank you.

If there are some problems, we can say:

17. 
呢度
ni1 dou6laan6zo2wo3.
herebrokenAPSP
Here has become broken.
18. 
呢度污糟
ni1 dou6wu1 zou1zo2wo3.
heredirtyAPSP
Here has become dirty.
19. 
另一
ngo5ling1gwo3ling6 jat1gin6bei2nei5aa1.
ItakeVPanotherCLgiveyouSP
Let me take another one to you over again.

Hong Kong has plastic bag levy. Therefore, the shop assistant will sometimes ask if we need a bag before providing one.

20. 
jiu3m4jiu3do2ge2?
wantnotwantbagSP
Do you want bags?
21. 
唔該
jiu3aa3,m4 goi1.
wantSPthank you
Yes. Thank you.
22. 
唔使唔該
m4 sai2laa3,m4 goi1.
not need toSPthank you
I don’t need it. Thank you.
23. 
doi2jat1man1jat1go3wo3.
bagonedollaroneCLSP
Bags are $1 for one.
24. 
OK
ou1 kei1aa3.
okaySP
Okay.

If we want to use a coupon or a voucher, we can say:

25.   
唔該coupon / 優惠券
m4 goi1ngo5soeng2jung6ni1zoeng1kiu1 pon4 / jau1 wai6 gyun3ge3.
pleaseIwant tousethisCLcouponSP
I want to use this coupon, please.
26. 
唔該現金券
m4 goi1ngo5soeng2jung6ni1zoeng1jin6 gam1 gyun3ge3.
pleaseIwant tousethisCLvoucherSP
I want to use this voucher, please.
27. 
hou2ge3.
goodSP
Good. [= Sure.]
28.   
唔好意思
m4 hou2 ji3 si1,
sorry
coupon / 優惠券
ni1zoeng1kiu1 pon4 / jau1 wai6 gyun3gwo3zo2kei4laa3.
thisCLcouponexpireVP[expire]SP
Sorry, this coupon has expired already.
29. 
唔好意思現金券
m4 hou2 ji3 si1,ni1zoeng1jin6 gam1 gyun3gwo3zo2kei4laa3.
sorrythisCLvoucherexpireVP[expire]SP
Sorry, this voucher has expired already.

After calculating the total, the shop assistant will say:

30. 
多謝一千三百六十二個半
do1 ze6nei5jat1 cin1 saam1 baak3 luk6 sap6 ji6 go3 bun3.
thankyou1362.5
Thank you for $1362.5.
31. 
之後貨品
zit3zo2zi1 hau6,ng5gin6fo3 ban2
discountAPafter5CLitem
總共一千三百六十二個半
zung2 gung6jat1 cin1 saam1 baak3 luk6 sap6 ji6 go3 bun3.
altogether1362.5
After we have discounted the items, for five items, $1362.5 altogether.
32. 
八五折之後貨品
baat3 ng5 zit3zo2zi1 hau6,ng5gin6fo3 ban2
85% of original price [15% off]APafter5CLitem
總共一千三百六十二個半
zung2 gung6jat1 cin1 saam1 baak3 luk6 sap6 ji6 go3 bun3.
altogether1362.5
After we have discounted the items with 15% off, for five items, $1362.5 altogether.
33. 
一百之後貨品
gaam2zo2jat1 baak3man1zi1 hau6,ng5gin6fo3 ban2
deductAP100dollarafter5CLitem
總共一千三百六十二個半
zung2 gung6jat1 cin1 saam1 baak3 luk6 sap6 ji6 go3 bun3.
altogether1362.5
After we have deducted $100, for five items, $1362.5 altogether.

The shop assistant will then ask how we would like to pay.

34. 
請問
cing2 man6bei2me1ge2?
may I askpay bywhatSP
May I ask what you will pay by?
35. 
請問
cing2 man6jung6me1bei2ge2?
may I askusewhatpaySP
May I ask what you will use to pay?

If we want to check the payment methods available, we can ask:

36. 
請問你哋
cing2 man6nei5 dei6sau1me1ge2?
may I askyouacceptwhatSP
May I ask what you accept?
37. 
我哋現金信用卡
ngo5 dei6sau1jin6 gam1tung4seon3 jung6 kaat1ge3.
youacceptcashandcredit cardSP
We accept cash and credit cards.
38. 
我哋淨係現金
ngo5 dei6zing6 hai6sau1jin6 gam1zaa3.
youonlyacceptcashSP
We only accept cash.

If we’re not sure whether a payment method is accepted, we can ask:

39.   
請問可以信用卡 / 卡
cing2 man6ho2m4ho2 ji5bei2seon3 jung6 kaat1 / kaat1ge2?
may I askcannotcanpay bycredit card / cardSP
May I ask if I can pay by credit card?
40. 
請問可以碌卡
cing2 man6ho2m4ho2 ji5luk1 kaat1ge2?
may I askcannotcanpay by credit cardSP
May I ask if I can pay by credit card?
41. 
可以
ho2 ji5aa3.
canSP
Yes.
42. 
唔好意思我哋信用卡
m4 hou2 ji3 si1,ngo5 dei6m4sau1seon3 jung6 kaat1ge3.
sorrywenotacceptcredit cardSP
Sorry, we don’t accept credit cards.

Route A: Cash

43. 
現金唔該
bei2jin6 gam1aa1m4 goi1.
pay bycashSPplease
I will pay in cash, please.

A few moments later…

44. 
一千四百
sau1nei5jat1 cin1 sei3 baak3man1ge3.
receiveyou1400dollarSP
We receive $1400 from you.

A few moments later…

45. 
三十七個半
zaau2faan1nei5saam1 sap6 cat1 go3 bun3ge3.
give changeVPyou37.5SP
We give change of $37.5 back to you.

Some shops may refuse to accept banknotes like $500 or $1000. The shop assistant will say:

46. 
唔好意思我哋一千
m4 hou2 ji3 si1,ngo5 dei6m4sau1jat1 cin1man1zi2ge3.
sorrywenotaccept1000dollarbanknoteVP
Sorry, we don’t accept $1000 banknotes.

Route B: Credit Card

47.   
信用卡 / 卡唔該
bei2seon3 jung6 kaat1 / kaat1aa1m4 goi1.
pay bycredit card / cardSPplease
I will pay by credit card, please.
48. 
碌卡唔該
luk1 kaat1aa1m4 goi1.
pay by credit cardSPplease
I will pay by credit card, please.

If we need to tap our credit card on a payment terminal, the shop assistant will say:

49. 
麻煩呢度拍卡
maa4 faan4nei5hai2ni1 dou6paak3jat1paak3 kaat1aa1.
pleaseyouonheretap cardonetap cardSP
Please tap the card here.
50. 
dut1.
doo
Doo.
51. 
OK唔該晒
ou1 kei1laa3,m4 goi1 saai3.
okaySPthank you so much
It’s okay already. Thank you so much.

The shop assistant will sometimes ask us to sign on a credit card receipt.

52. 
麻煩簽名
maa4 faan4nei5cim1jat1cim1 meng2aa1.
pleaseyousignonesignSP
Please sign.

Route C: Octopus Card

53. 
八達通唔該
bei2baat3 daat6 tung1aa1m4 goi1.
pay byOctopus cardSPthank
I will pay by Octopus card, please.
54. 
可以拍卡
ho2 ji5paak3 kaat1.
cantap card
You can tap the card.
55. 
拍卡
cing2paak3 kaat1.
pleasetap card
Please tap the card.

After paying, the shop assistant will give us the receipt.

56.   
單 / 收據呀吓
bei2faan1zoeng1daan1 / sau1 geoi3nei5aa3 haa2.
giveVPCLreceiptyouSP
I will give the receipt back to you.

Before we leave, the shop assistant will often say:

57. 
多謝晒歡迎下次光臨
do1 ze6 saai3,fun1 jing4 haa6 ci3 gwong1 lam4.
thank you so muchwelcome to come next time
Thank you so much. Welcome to come next time.

Made with in Hong Kong.

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