18.5 Asking for Opinions on Suggestions with 好唔好 hou2 m4 hou2 (‘Is … good?’)
We can combine the positive and negative forms of the adjective 好 hou2 (‘good’) to form the expression 好唔好 hou2 m4 hou2.
The expression 好唔好 hou2 m4 hou2 means ‘Is … good?’. We can add it after an option to suggest the option and ask for opinions on the option at the same time. It functions like what do you think about … ? in English (as in What do you think about having hotpot?). We usually add the sentence particle 呀 aa3 (for questions) after 好唔好 hou2 m4 hou2.
我哋打邊爐好唔好呀？
ngo5 dei6 daa2 bin1 lou4 hou2 m4 hou2 aa3?
Is having hotpot good?
[= What do you think about having hotspot?]
好唔好 hou2 m4 hou2 is added after the option 我哋打邊爐 ngo5 dei6 daa2 bin1 lou4.
We can contract 好唔好 hou2 m4 hou2 as 好冇 hou2 mou2.
我哋打邊爐好冇呀？
ngo5 dei6 daa2 bin1 lou4 hou2 mou2 aa3?
Is having hotpot good?
[= What do you think about having hotspot?]
We can respond to the question this way:
| A: | 我哋打邊爐好唔好呀？ ngo5 dei6 daa2 bin1 lou4 hou2 m4 hou2 aa3? Is having hotpot good? [= What do you think about having hotspot?] |
| B: | → 好呀，我都想打邊爐呀。 hou2 aa3, ngo5 dou1 soeng2 daa2 bin1 lou4 aa3. Good. [= Sure.] I want to have hotpot too. → 我唔係好想打邊爐呀。 ngo5 m4 hai6 hou2 soeng2 daa2 bin1 lou4 aa3. I don’t want to have hotpot very much. |