Talking About Languages

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1. 
你識咩語言㗎？
nei5sik1me1jyu5 jin4gaa3?
youknowwhatlanguageSP
What languages do you know?
2. 
你識邊種語言㗎？
nei5sik1bin1zung2jyu5 jin4gaa3?
youknowwhichCLlanguageSP
Which language do you know?
3. 
你識邊啲語言㗎？
nei5sik1bin1di1jyu5 jin4gaa3?
youknowwhichCLlanguageSP
Which languages do you know?
  • We can put the classifier 啲 di1 (plural or uncountable) after 邊 bin1 (‘which’) if we expect there will be more than one answer.
4. 
我識英文啦，法文啦，
ngo5sik1jing1 man2laa1,faat3 man2laa1,
IknowEnglishSPFrenchSP
同少少廣東話嘅。
tung4siu2 siu2gwong2 dung1 waa2ge3.
anda littleCantoneseSP
I know English, French and a little Cantonese.
5. 
我淨係識英文咋。
ngo5zing6 hai6sik1jing1 man2zaa3.
IonlyknowEnglishSP
I only know English.
6. 
我嘅母語係英文，
ngo5ge3mou5 jyu5hai6jing1 man2,
I’snative languagebeEnglish
我以前學過法文，
ngo5ji5 cin4hok6gwo3faat3 man2,
IbeforelearnAPFrench
而家學緊廣東話。
ji4 gaa1hok6gan2gwong2 dung1 waa2.
nowlearnAPCantonese
My native language is English. I learned French before.
I am learning Cantonese now.
  • When forming a possessive construction with 母語 mou5 jyu5 (‘native language’) in the context here, we don’t usually use a classifier. We usually use 嘅 ge3 (e.g., 我嘅母語 ngo5 ge3 mou5 jyu5) or omit 嘅 ge3 (e.g., 我母語 ngo5 mou5 jyu5).

If we want to know if someone knows a specific language, we can ask:

7. 
你識唔識日文㗎？
nei5sik1m4sik1jat6 man2gaa3?
youknownotknowJapaneseSP
Do you know Japanese?
8. 
識呀。
sik1aa3.
knowSP
Yes.
9. 
淨係識少少咋。
zing6 hai6sik1siu2 siu2zaa3.
onlyknowa littleSP
I only know a little.
10. 
唔識呀。
m4sik1aa3.
notknowSP
No.

If we want to know why someone knows a language, we can use the sentence particle 呀 aa4 to ask for confirmation. We can usually expect that the person will explain why.

11. 
你識法文㗎？
nei5sik1faat3 man2gaa4?
youknowFrenchSP
You know French?
12. 
係呀，我以前喺學校學過法文，
hai6aa3,ngo5ji5 cin4hai2hok6 haau6hok6gwo3faat3 man2,
beSPIbeforeatschoollearnAPFrench
所以識少少法文。
so2 ji5sik1siu2 siu2faat3 man2.
soknowa littleFrench
Yes, I learned French at school before, so I know a little French.

If we want to know why someone wants to learn a language, we can ask:

13. 
你點解學廣東話嘅？
nei5dim2 gaai2hok6gwong2 dung1 waa2ge2?
youwhylearnCantoneseSP
Why do you learn Cantonese?
14. 
因為我遲啲會去香港做嘢。
jan1 wai6ngo5ci4 di1wui5heoi3hoeng1 gong2zou6 je5.
becauseIlaterwillgoHong Kongwork
Because I will go to Hong Kong to work later.
  • The word 會 wui5 means ‘will’. We will learn more about it in the later lessons.