In the Grammar and Vocabulary section, you will learn:

• Time
• The Question Word 幾多點 gei2 do1 dim2 / 幾點 gei2 dim2 (‘what time’)
• Forming Comparative Adverbs with the Suffix 啲 di1 (‘more’)
• Asking for Opinions on Suggestions with O唔OK ou1 m4 ou1 kei1 (‘Is … okay?’)
• Word Order of Time and Location
• Subject Movement
• Vocabulary List
• Vocabulary: Common Meeting Points in Hong Kong

To indicate the hour of the time, we say the number of the hour and then the classifier 點 dim2 (‘o’clock’) or 點鐘 dim2 zung1 (‘o’clock’).

To mean ‘2 o’clock’, we use 兩 loeng5 instead of 二 ji6.

There are three methods to indicate the minute of the time when it is not zero.

In this method, we first say the hour, and then the number of the minute and the classifier 分 fan1 (‘minute’). Note that if we indicate the minute, we usually only use 點 dim2 but not 點鐘 dim2 zung1 for the hour.

If the minute is 1 to 9, we add 零 ling4 before the number of the minute.

If the minute is 2, we use 二 ji6 instead of 兩 loeng5. Therefore, we use 兩 loeng2 before 點 dim2 or 點鐘 dim2 zung1, but 二 ji6 before 分 fan1.

We can also use the number we see on a torque clock.

Notice the interval between one number and the next number is 5 minutes. For example, the interval between 12 and 1 is 5 minutes.

In this method, we first say the hour, and then 搭 daap6 (‘to step on’, also written as 踏) and the number which the minute hand is pointing to. 搭 daap6 here means that the minute hand is stepping on the number. We can often omit the word 搭 daap6. For example, when the time is 8:15, the minute hand will step on the number 3 so we can say 三 saam1 for the minute.

If the minute hand is pointing to 6, we usually say 半 bun3 (‘half’) instead of 六 luk6.

If the minute hand is pointing to 12, we usually say 正 zeng3 / zing3 (‘exact’) instead of 十二 sap6 ji6. Note that we only add 正 zeng3 / zing3 when we need to emphasize the time is exactly on the hour.

We can also use the expression 個字 go3 zi6. 字 zi6 means ‘word’, which refers to the number we see on a torque clock. Here, we can understand 字 zi6 as ‘5 minutes’ because each 字 zi6 on a torque clock represents an interval of 5 minutes. 個 go3 is the classifier for 字 zi6.

In this method, we first say the hour, and then the number which the minute hand is pointing to and 個字 go3 zi6.

When the minute hand is pointing to the number 2, we use 兩 loeng5 instead of 二 ji6.

We don’t usually say 六個字 luk6 go3 zi6 when the minute hand is pointing to the number 6 or 十二個字 sap6 ji6 go3 zi6 when the minute hand is pointing to the number 12.

In daily conversations, we usually use Method 2 or Method 3 whenever possible. We use Method 2 more often than Method 3. We usually only use Method 1 when we can’t indicate the time with Method 2 or Method 3.

We can put the part of the day (e.g., 朝早 ziu1 zou2 ‘morning’, 晏晝 aan3 zau3 ‘afternoon’, 夜晚 je6 maan5 ‘evening, night’) before the time to indicate whether it is morning, afternoon or evening (See Grammar and Vocabulary 17.3 for parts of the day).

We put the time before the verb in a sentence, just as we do with other time expressions.

We can put the time after some verbs (e.g., 食 sik6 ‘to eat’ and 睇 tai2 ‘to watch’) to indicate the time of the activity.

However, we can only do so when the sentence doesn’t have an object.

Say the time in as many ways as possible. Then, check your answers and repeat after the recordings.

1. 12:00 p.m.

2. 4:40 a.m.

3. 10:30 p.m.

4. 3:00 p.m.

5. 8:25 a.m.

6. 12:02 p.m.

7. 3:55 a.m.

8. 8:45 p.m.

9. 2:09 p.m.

10. 9:30 a.m.

The question word 幾多點 gei2 do1 dim2 is similar to what time in English. We form 幾多點 gei2 do1 dim2 by combining 幾多 gei2 do1 (‘how many, how much’) and the classifier 點 dim2 (‘o’clock’). We use 幾多點 gei2 do1 dim2 to form a question that elicits the time in hours and minutes as the answer.

We can also combine 幾多 gei2 do1 with the classifier 點鐘 dim2 zung1 (‘o’clock’) to form 幾多點鐘 gei2 do1 dim2 zung1, which means ‘what time’ as well.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 11.6, we learned that when 幾多 gei2 do1 is followed by a classifier, 幾多 gei2 do1 can be contracted to 幾 gei2. Since 點 dim2 and 點鐘 dim2 zung1 are classifiers, we can contract 幾多 gei2 do1 to 幾 gei2 and say 幾點 gei2 dim2 and 幾點鐘 gei2 dim2 zung1.

Therefore, there are four different forms:

We can put the suffix 啲 di1 (‘more’) after an adverb to form a comparative adverb.

We can also put 啲 di1 after an adjective to form a comparative adjective. We will learn more about this in later lessons.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 18.5, we learned to use the expression 好唔好 hou2 m4 hou2 (‘Is … good?’) to ask for opinions on a suggestion.

We can form a similar expression with the adjective OK ou1 kei1 (‘okay’). We combine the positive and negative forms of OK ou1 kei1 to form the expression O唔OK ou1 m4 ou1 kei1.

The expression O唔OK ou1 m4 ou1 kei1 means ‘Is … okay?’. 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 Does it work if … ? in English (as in Does it work if we eat at 7:00?). We usually add the sentence particle 呀 aa3 (for questions) after O唔OK ou1 m4 ou1 kei1.

To answer the question, we can say OK呀 ou1 kei1 aa3 for ‘yes’ and 唔OK呀 m4 ou1 kei1 aa3 for ‘no’.

For a negative answer, we can also make a new suggestion directly.

We can put a person before O唔OK ou1 m4 ou1 kei1 to specifically ask whether someone is okay with the suggestion.

In previous lessons, we learned that we can add the time or a location before the verb of a sentence.

If we want to add both the time and a location in a sentence, we usually put the time before the location.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 22.1, we learned that we can put the time after some verbs (e.g., 食 sik6 ‘to eat’, 睇 tai2 ‘to watch’). We usually don’t do so if we add a location at the same time.

If a sentence has a sentence particle, we can optionally move the subject after the sentence particle.

Complete the table.

In Hong Kong, we often arrange to meet at subway stations. To refer to a subway station, we say the station name and then 地鐵站 dei6 tit3 zaam6 (‘subway station’, usually referred as ‘MTR station’ in Hong Kong), 火車站 fo2 ce1 zaam6 (‘train station’) or 站 zaam6 (‘station’). People often use 火車站 fo2 ce1 zaam6 to refer to stations on the East Rail Line because this line was a train system operated separately from the subway system in the past.

The subway stations in Hong Kong usually have lots of exits that connect to different places. We sometimes add the exit after the station. To refer to an exit, we say the exit name (usually a letter and sometimes with a number) and then 出口 ceot1 hau2 (‘exit’).

If the restaurant is inside or near a shopping mall or a building, we often arrange to meet there too. In this lesson, we will see the following places in Hong Kong:

We can use put a location word after the shopping mall or building to specify the location.

If we want to meet inside or outside the restaurant, we can say:

In the Communication section, you will learn:

• Deciding on the Time for a Meal
• Deciding on the Meeting Point and Time