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一個C餐吖唔該。
jat1 go3 C caan1 aa1 m4 goi1.
jat1 go3 C caan1 aa1 m4 goi1.
Grammar and Vocabulary
In the Grammar and Vocabulary section, you will learn:
- The Verbal Particle 好 hou2 (‘finished’)
- The Verbal Particle 得 dak1 (Possibility)
- Topics II
- Vocabulary List
- Vocabulary: Meal Sets in Cha Chaan Teng
- Vocabulary: Noodles
- Vocabulary: Sauces
- Vocabulary: Drinks in Cha Chaan Teng
- Vocabulary: Special Requirements
29.1 The Verbal Particle 好 hou2 (‘finished’)
The word 好 hou2 means ‘good’ as an adjective. We can also use 好 hou2 as a verbal particle to mean ‘finished’. We usually use 好 hou2 with a task that has a clear expected outcome (e.g., choosing the food we want to order). 好 hou2 indicates that we have completed the task well with a favorable outcome and are ready for the following task or activity (e.g., calling the server to place an order).
我揀好。
ngo5 gaan2 hou2.
I have finished choosing.
Since 好 hou2 indicates a task has been completed, we usually use the sentence particle 喇 laa3 at the same time (See Grammar and vocabulary 13.6).
我揀好喇。
ngo5 gaan2 hou2 laa3.
I have already finished choosing.
To indicate a task has not been completed with a favorable outcome yet, we can add the adverb 未 mei6 (‘not yet’) before the verb for the task. Since the task has not been completed yet, we don’t use 喇 laa3.
我未揀好。
ngo5 mei6 gaan2 hou2.
I haven’t finished choosing yet.
We can use the adverb 未 mei6 (‘yet’) with 好 hou2 to form yes-no questions that asks whether a task has been completed with a favorable outcome yet. We put 未 mei6 after 好 hou2 instead of before the verb. If there is an object after the verb, we put 未 mei6 after it. For separable verbs, we put 未 mei6 after the whole verb. As a rule of thumb, we usually put 未 mei6 at the end of the question or before the sentence particle, if any.
To answer the question, we can give a short answer or a long answer.
We form a short answer by omitting the subject and the object in the long answer. For separate verbs, we usually keep the first syllable (the verb part) and omit the other syllables (the object part). For a negative short answer, we can also simply say 未呀 mei6 aa3 (‘not yet’).
好 hou2 may look similar to the aspect particle 咗 zo2, which can also indicate a task has been completed. However, when we use 好 hou2, we additionally indicate the task has been completed well with a favorable outcome, making it ready for the next task or activity.
我揀咗喇。
ngo5 gaan2 zo2 laa3.
I have already chosen.
我揀好喇。
ngo5 gaan2 hou2 laa3.
I have already finished choosing [well with a favorable outcome].
The first sentence with 咗 zo2 only indicates that the task of choosing has been completed. The second sentence with 好 hou2 additionally indicates that the task has been completed well with a favorable outcome.
The meaning of the two sentences above may look similar to each other. However, in some other situations, the meaning can differ significantly when a different particle is used. We will see more examples in later books.
29.2 The Verbal Particle 得 dak1 (Possibility)
We can use the verbal particle 得 dak1 to indicate that it is possible to do an activity. In the context of this lesson, we will use 得 dak1 to indicate that we are ready to do an activity.
我落得單。
ngo5 lok6 dak1 daan1.
I can place an order.
Since the state has changed from not ready to ready in this context, we usually use the sentence particle 喇 laa3 at the same time (See Grammar and vocabulary 13.6).
我落得單喇。
ngo5 lok6 dak1 daan1 laa3.
I can place an order already.
To indicate that we are not ready yet, we can add the adverb 未 mei6 (‘not yet’) before the verb for the activity. Since the state has not changed yet, we don’t use 喇 laa3.
我未落得單。
ngo5 mei6 lok6 dak1 daan1.
I can’t place an order yet.
We can use the adverb 未 mei6 (‘yet’) with 得 dak1 to form yes-no questions that asks whether someone is ready to do an activity yet. We put 未 mei6 after 得 dak1 instead of before the verb. If there is an object after the verb, we put 未 mei6 after it. For separable verbs, we put 未 mei6 after the whole verb. As a rule of thumb, we usually put 未 mei6 at the end of the question or before the sentence particle, if any.
To answer the question, we can give a short answer or a long answer.
We form a short answer by omitting the subject and the object in the long answer. For separate verbs, we usually keep the first syllable (the verb part) and omit the other syllables (the object part). For a negative short answer, we can also simply say 未呀 mei6 aa3 (‘not yet’).
29.3 Topics II
In Grammar and Vocabulary 28.6, we learned that a topic appears at the beginning of a sentence and sets the theme of the sentence which we will use to interpret the rest of the sentence. We also learned that the object of a sentence is sometimes moved to the beginning of the sentence and becomes the topic of the sentence.
The topic doesn’t need to be the object of a sentence. It can simply be a noun phrase that we add at the beginning of the sentence to set the theme of the sentence.
The noun phrase 湯 tong1 (‘soup’) appears at the beginning of the sentence and signals that the question is about soup. The noun phrase C餐 C caan1 (‘Set C’) appears at the beginning of the sentence and signals that the question is about Set C.29.4 Vocabulary List
29.5 Vocabulary: Meal Sets in Cha Chaan Teng
Watch the following clip to see if you can recognize the set names!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK2iDKIgf18
Visit this website if you want to see the Cantonese subtitles:
https://www.cantoneselearning.com/video/Mcdull/Today's-Lunch
29.6 Vocabulary: Noodles
The names in brackets below are contracted names. They are usually used in a food name (e.g., 星洲炒米 sing1 zau1 caau2 mai5 ‘Singapore-Style Fried Rice Vermicelli’).
The last three types of noodles usually appear in cart noodle shops, but not cha chaan teng.
29.7 Vocabulary: Sauces
29.8 Vocabulary: Drinks in Cha Chaan Teng
When we order drinks, we usually add 熱 jit6 (‘hot’) or 凍 dung3 (‘iced’ or ‘cold’) before a drink name.
熱 + 檸茶
jit6 + ning2 caa4
hot + lemon tea
凍 + 奶茶
dung3 + naai5 caa4
iced + milk tea
The names in brackets below are contracted names. We usually use these contracted names when we order.
29.9 Vocabulary: Special Requirements
We can add special requirements after the food name or drink name.
星洲炒米 + 走蝦
sing1 zau1 caau2 mai5 + zau2 haa1
Singapore-Style Fried Rice Vermicelli + without shrimp
凍檸茶 + 少甜
dung3 ning2 caa4 + siu2 tim4
iced lemon tea + less sugar
We can add multiple special requirements.
凍檸茶 + 少甜 + 少冰
dung3 ning2 caa4 + siu2 tim4 + siu2 bing1
iced lemon tea + less sugar + less ice
Beginning with 走 zau2 (‘without’)
Beginning with 多 do1 (‘more’)
Beginning with 少 siu2 (‘less’)
Others
Communication
In the Communication section, you will learn:
- Ordering Food II
Ordering Food II
In restaurants like cha chaan teng, we don’t usually choose and order food together with other people. Instead, each of us will choose and order our own food individually. Before calling the server, we usually ask if everyone is ready to order.
Route A: Yes
Route B: No
- We can replace 叫 giu3 (‘to order’) with 嗌 aai3 (‘to order’).
Route A: Yes
Route B: No
When everyone is ready to order the food, we can get the server’s attention by saying:
Sometimes the server will ask if we have ordered food. If we haven’t, they will take our order.
Route A: Yes
Route B: No
If we need more time to choose the food, we can answer:
When the server takes an order, they will usually start with the food. To speed up the ordering process, we are often expected to provide all the necessary information ourselves so that the server doesn’t need to ask any further questions. Therefore, if you need to choose something for your meal set, try to indicate all your choices in one go!
- We usually use the verb 轉 zyun3 (‘to change to’) instead of 跟 gan1 (‘to be served with’) if we need to pay extra for a choice.
The server will usually ask us in turn if we have more than one person.
After taking order for the food, the server will continue with the drinks.
- 飲 jam2 (‘to drink’) is a verb. 嘢飲 je5 jam2 (‘drink’) is a noun.
The server will usually ask us in turn if we have more than one person.
If we order the same drink as the last person, we can say:
- We need to add 係 hai6 (‘to be’) after 都 dou1 (‘too’) if the sentence doesn’t have a verb.
We can simply increase the quantity of that drink too.
If you order a drink different from the last person, we can order it as usual.
If we are charged additionally for the drink, the server will usually say this instead:
We can make special requirements in our order. Here are some common ones:
Here are some common additional questions the server may ask:
To order takeaway food, we can say this after entering the restaurant:
For fast food shops, we usually order food at the counter near the entrance. The server will sometimes ask if we want to dine in or take out.
To speed up the ordering process, we can indicate whether we want to dine in or take out in one go.
Culture
In cha chaan teng, the servers are often used to doing everything fast. They usually expect you to order your food immediately after entering the restaurant, especially during peak hours. Also, they tend to speak in shorter sentences, as if they want to say as few words as possible! Sometimes they may sound less polite, but it’s simply the culture. Don’t feel disrespected!