Booking a Table

We can use the expressions below to call a restaurant to book a table. Notice below we often add the sentence particle 嘅 ge3 to the sentences and 嘅 ge2 to the questions. This is a way to make the sentences and questions sound slightly more polite.

職員 zik1 jyun4

客 haak3

1. 
喂，壽司人。
wai2,sau6 si1 jan4.
helloSushiet
Hello, Sushiet [a fictional restaurant].
2.   
唔該我想book / 訂位嘅。
m4 goi1ngo5soeng2buk1 / deng6wai2ge3.
pleaseIwant tobookseatSP
I want to book seats, please.
3.   
唔該我想book / 訂枱嘅。
m4 goi1ngo5soeng2buk1 / deng6toi2ge3.
pleaseIwant tobooktableSP
I want to book a table, please.
4. 
請等一等。
cing2dang2jat1dang2.
pleasewaitonewait
Please wait for a moment.

A few moments later…

5.   
請問想book / 訂幾時嘅？
cing2 man6soeng2buk1 / deng6gei2 si4ge2?
may I askwant tobookwhenSP
May I ask when you want to book for?
6.   
請問想book / 訂邊日嘅？
cing2 man6soeng2buk1 / deng6bin1jat6ge2?
may I askwant tobookwhichdaySP
May I ask which day you want to book for?
7.   
我想book / 訂十二號嘅。
ngo5soeng2buk1 / deng6sap6 ji6hou6ge3.
Iwant tobook12CLSP
I want to book for the 12th.
8. 
請問幾多位嘅？
cing2 man6gei2 do1wai2ge2?
may I askhow manyCLSP
May I ask how many people?
  • 位 wai2 is the classifier for people. It is more formal and polite than 個 go3. We don’t add the noun 人 jan4 (‘person’) after it.
9. 
請問幾多個人嘅？
cing2 man6gei2 do1go3jan4ge2?
may I askhow manyCLpersonSP
May I ask how many people?
10. 
四位嘅。
sei3wai2ge3.
4CLSP
4 people.
11. 
四個人嘅。
sei3go3jan4ge3.
4CLpersonSP
4 people.
12.   
請問想book / 訂幾多點嘅？
cing2 man6soeng2buk1 / deng6gei2 do1 dim2ge2?
may I askwant tobookwhat timeSP
May I ask what time you want to book for?
13.   
我想book / 訂八點嘅。
ngo5soeng2buk1 / deng6baat3dim2ge3.
Iwant tobook8o'clockSP
I want to book for 8:00.
14.   
唔好意思，八點full / 爆咗喇。
m4 hou2 ji3 si1,baat3dim2fu1 / baau3zo2laa3.
sorry8o'clockfullAPSP
Sorry, we are fully booked for 8:00 already.
  • The words full fu1 and 爆 baau3 (‘full’) are adjectives. We can use an aspect particle (咗 zo2 here) with some adjectives. We will examine this in later books.
15. 
唔好意思，八點冇位喇。
m4 hou2 ji3 si1,baat3dim2mou5wai2laa3.
sorry8o'clocknot haveseatSP
Sorry, there are no seats for 8:00 already.
16. 
噉幾多點有位嘅？
gam2gei2 do1 dim2jau5wai2ge2?
thenwhat timehaveseatSP
What time will there be seats then?
17. 
我check一check。
ngo5checkjat1check.
Icheckonecheck
I will have a check.
18. 
我睇一睇。
ngo5tai2jat1tai2.
Ilookonelook
I will have a look.

A few moments later…

19. 
九點有位。
gau2dim2jau5wai2.
9o'clockhaveseat
There are seats at 9:00.
20.   
早啲 / 晏啲有冇位嘅？
zou2 di1 / aan3 di1jau5mou5wai2ge2?
earlier / laterhavenot haveseatSP
Are there seats earlier / later?
21. 
六點半都有位。
luk6dim2bun3dou1jau5wai2.
6o'clockhalftoohaveseat
There are seats at 6:30 too.
22.   
噉幫我book / 訂六點半吖唔該。
gam2bong1ngo5buk1 / deng6luk6dim2bun3aa1m4 goi1.
thenformebook6o'clockhalfSPplease
Then please book for 6:30 for me.
23. 
噉六點半吖唔該。
gam2luk6dim2bun3aa1m4 goi1.
then6o'clockhalfSPplease
Then 6:30, please.
24.   
請問先生 / 小姐貴姓嘅？
cing2 man6sin1 saang1 / siu2 ze2gwai3 sing3ge2?
may I askSir / Missnoble surname isSP
Sir / Miss, may I ask what your noble surname is?
25.   
請問先生 / 小姐姓咩嘅？
cing2 man6sin1 saang1 / siu2 ze2sing3me1ge2?
may I askSir / Misssurname iswhatSP
Sir / Miss, may I ask what your surname is?
26. 
姓梁嘅。
sing3loeng4ge3.
surname isLeungSP
My surname is Leung.

The restaurant staff may also ask for our name this way:

27. 
請問留咩名嘅？
cing2 man6lau4me1meng2ge2?
may I askleavewhatnameSP
What name do you want to leave?
[= What name do you want to use in the booking?]
28.    
唔該留梁生 / 小姐 / 太吖。
m4 goi1lau4loeng4saang1 / siu2 ze2 / taai2aa1.
pleaseleaveLeungMr. / Miss / Mrs.SP
Please leave Mr. / Miss / Mrs. Leung.
[= Please use Mr. / Miss / Mrs. Leung.]
29.    
麻煩先生 / 小姐 / 太太
maa4 faan4sin1 saang1 / siu2 ze2 / taai3 taai2
pleaseSir / Miss / Madam
留一留電話吖。
lau4jat1lau4din6 waa2aa1.
leaveoneleavephoneSP
Sir / Miss / Madam, please leave your phone number.
30.   
請問幾多號 / 幾號電話嘅？
cing2 man6gei2 do1 hou6 / gei2 hou6din6 waa2ge2?
May I askwhat numberphoneSP
May I ask what your phone number is?
31. 
九一二三，四五六七。
gau2 jat1 ji6 saam1,sei3 ng5 luk6 cat1.
91234567
9123-4567.
32.      
我複一複，
ngo5fuk1jat1fuk1,
Irepeatonerepeat
幫你book / 訂咗十二號六點半，
bong1nei5buk1 / deng6zo2sap6 ji6hou6luk6dim2bun3,
foryoubookAP12CL6o'clockhalf
劉生，三位，
lau4saang1,saam1wai2,
LauMr.3CL
電話係九一二三，四五六一。
din6 waa2hai6gau2 jat1 ji6 saam1,sei3 ng5 luk6 jat1.
phonebe91234561
I will repeat it [for you to check the booking details].
I have booked a table for the 12th, 6:30, Mr. Lau, 3 people, for you.
The phone number is 9123-4561.

If there is something incorrect, we can correct it this way:

33. 
唔係劉生呀，係梁生呀。
m4hai6lau4saang1aa3,hai6loeng4saang1aa3.
notbeLauMr.SPbeLeungMr.SP
It is not “Mr. Lau”. It is “Mr. Leung”.
34. 
唔係梁小姐呀，係梁生呀。
m4hai6loeng4siu2 ze2aa3,hai6loeng4saang1aa3.
notbeLeungMissSPbeLeungMr.SP
It is not “Miss Leung”. It is “Mr. Leung”.
35. 
唔係三位呀，係四位呀。
m4hai6saam1wai2aa3,hai6sei3wai2aa3.
notbethreeCLSPbefourCLSP
It is not “three people”. It is “four people”.
36. 
電話係九一二三，四五六七呀。
din6 waa2hai6gau2 jat1 ji6 saam1,sei3 ng5 luk6 cat1aa3.
phonebe91234567SP
The phone number is 9123-4567.
37.    
我再複一次，
ngo5zoi3fuk1jat1 ci3,
Iagainrepeatonce
十二號六點半，梁生，四位，
sap6 ji6hou6luk6dim2bun3,loeng4saang1,sei3wai2,
12CL6o'clockhalfLeungMr.4CL
電話係九一二三四五六七。
din6 waa2hai6gau2 jat1 ji6 saam1sei3 ng5 luk6 cat1.
phonebe91234567
I will repeat it once again [for you to check the booking details].
The 12th, 6:30, Mr. Leung, 4 people. The phone number is 9123-4567.
38. 
唔該晒。
m4 goi1 saai3.
thank you so much
Thank you so much.
39. 
唔使客氣，拜拜。
m4 sai2 haak3 hei3,baai1 baai3.
no problembye
No problem. Bye.
40. 
拜拜。
baai1 baai3.
bye
Bye.