Getting Help at a Restaurant II

Audio is not available for this page yet.

During a meal, we may need help from the server or from our companions. We will learn about other common types of help below.

Taking photos

If we want the server to help us to take a photo, we can say:

侍應 si6 jing3

客 haak3

唔該	可	唔	可以	幫	我哋	影	張	相	呀	？
m4 goi1	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5	bong1	ngo5 dei6	jing2	zoeng1	soeng2	aa3	?
please	can	not	can	for	us	take	CL	photo	SP

Can you take a photo for us, please?

好	呀	，	三	，	二	，	一	，	笑	。
hou2	aa3	,	saam1	,	ji6	,	jat1	,	siu3	.
good	SP		three		two		one		smile

影	多	一	張	呀吓	，
jing2	do1	jat1	zoeng1	aa3 haa2	,
take	more	one	CL	SP

三	，	二	，	一	，	笑	。
saam1	,	ji6	,	jat1	,	siu3	.
three		two		one		smile

Good. [= Sure.] Three, two, one, cheers.

I will take one more. Three, two, one, cheers.

If we are taking photos ourselves and the server notices that, they may offer to help.

使唔使	幫	你哋	影	嘅	？
sai2 m4 sai2	bong1	nei5 dei6	jing2	ge2	?
need not need to	for	you	take	SP

Do I need to take it for you?

好	呀	，	唔該	。
hou2	aa3	,	m4 goi1	.
good	SP		thank you

Good. [= Yes.] Thank you.

唔使	喇	，	唔該	。
m4 sai2	laa3	,	m4 goi1	.
not need to	SP		thank you

You don’t need to. Thank you.

Getting something from servers

If we want to get something from the server, we can say:

唔該	有	冇	餐牌	呀	？
m4 goi1	jau5	mou5	caan1 paai2	aa3	?
please	have	not have	menu	SP

Are there menus, please?

唔該	可	唔	可以	俾	兩	隻	碗	我哋	呀	？
m4 goi1	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5	bei2	loeng5	zek3	wun2	ngo5 dei6	aa3	?
please	can	not	can	give	two	CL	bowl	us	SP

Can you give two bowls to us, please?

唔該	可	唔	可以
m4 goi1	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5
please	can	not	can

俾	多	一	對	筷子	我哋	呀	？
bei2	do1	jat1	deoi3	faai3 zi2	ngo5 dei6	aa3	?
give	more	one	pair	chopstick	us	SP

Can you give one more pair of chopsticks to us, please?

唔該	俾	個	盒	我哋	吖	，
m4 goi1	bei2	go3	hap2	ngo5 dei6	aa1	,
please	give	CL	box	us	SP

我哋	想	打包	呀	。
ngo5 dei6	soeng2	daa2 baau1	aa3	.
we	want to	pack up	SP

Please give a box to us. We want to pack (the food) up.

10.

好	呀	，	請	等	一陣	。
hou2	aa3	,	cing2	dang2	jat1 zan6	.
good	SP		please	wait	a moment

Good. [= Sure.] Please wait a moment.

If we are missing something, we can say:

11.

唔該	我哋	少	咗	一	隻	杯	呀	。
m4 goi1	ngo5 dei6	siu2	zo2	jat1	zek3	bui1	aa3	.
please	we	fewer	AP	one	CL	cup	SP

We have had one cup fewer, please.

[= We are missing one cup, please.]

12.

唔該	我哋	差	兩	隻	碗	呀	。
m4 goi1	ngo5 dei6	caa1	loeng5	zek3	wun2	aa3	.
please	we	be short of	two	CL	bowl	SP

We are short of two bowls, please.

[= We are missing two bowls, please.]

13.

唔好意思	，	請	等	一陣	。
m4 hou2 ji3 si1	,	cing2	dang2	jat1 zan6	.
sorry		please	wait	a moment

Sorry. Please wait a moment.

Getting something from companions

If we want to get something from our companions, we can say:

14.

唔該	可	唔	可以	夾	嚿	雞	俾	我	呀	？
m4 goi1	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5	gaap3	gau6	gai1	bei2	ngo5	aa3	?
please	can	not	can	pick up	piece	chicken	give	me	SP

Can you pick up a piece of chicken to me, please?

15.

唔該	可	唔	可以	𢳂	啲	飯	俾	我	呀	？
m4 goi1	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5	bat1	di1	faan6	bei2	ngo5	aa3	?
please	can	not	can	spoon	CL	rice	give	me	SP

Can you spoon some rice to me, please?

16.

唔該	可	唔	可以	幫	我	夾	嚿	雞	呀	？
m4 goi1	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5	bong1	ngo5	gaap3	gau6	gai1	aa3	?
please	can	not	can	for	me	pick up	piece	chicken	SP

Can you pick up a piece of chicken for me, please?

17.

唔該	可	唔	可以	幫	我	𢳂	啲	飯	呀	？
m4 goi1	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5	bong1	ngo5	bat1	di1	faan6	aa3	?
please	can	not	can	for	me	spoon	CL	rice	SP

Can you spoon some rice for me, please?

18.

好	呀	，	你	俾	隻	碗	我	吖	。
hou2	aa3	,	nei5	bei2	zek3	wun2	ngo5	aa1	.
good	SP		you	give	CL	bowl	me	SP

Good. [= Sure.] Give the bowl to me.

19.

好	呀	，	你	遞	隻	碗	俾	我	吖	。
hou2	aa3	,	nei5	dai6	zek3	wun2	bei2	ngo5	aa1	.
good	SP		you	pass	CL	bowl	give	me	SP

Good. [= Sure.] Pass the bowl to me.

20.

嗱	。
naa4	.
here you go

Here you go.

21.

嗱	。
naa4	.
here you go

Here you go.

If our companions want to pick up food for us, they may say:

22.

要	唔	要	啲	湯	呀	？
jiu3	m4	jiu3	di1	tong1	aa3	?
want	not	want	CL	soup	SP

Do you want some soup?

23.

試	唔	試	下	呢	碟	呀	？
si3	m4	si3	haa6	ni1	dip6	aa3	?
try	not	try	AP	this	plate	SP

Do you want to try this plate?

24.

幫	你	夾	啲	雞	吖	。
bong1	nei5	gaap3	di1	gai1	aa1	.
for	you	pick up	CL	chicken	SP

Let me pick up some chicken for you.

25.

使唔使	幫	你	夾	啲	麵	呀	？
sai2 m4 sai2	bong1	nei5	gaap3	di1	min6	aa3	?
need not need to	for	you	pick up	CL	noodle	SP

Do I need to pick up some noodles for you?

Route A: Yes

26.

好	呀	，	唔該	。
hou2	aa3	,	m4 goi1	.
good	SP		thank you

Good. [= Yes.] Thank you.

Route B: No

27.

唔使	喇	，	唔該	。
m4 sai2	laa3	,	m4 goi1	.
not need to	SP		thank you

I don’t need it. Thank you.

28.

我	食 / 飲	咗	喇	，	唔該	。
ngo5	sik6 / jam2	zo2	laa3	,	m4 goi1	.
I	eat / drink	AP	SP		thank you

I have eaten / drunk it already. Thank you.

29.

我	夠	喇	，	唔該	。
ngo5	gau3	laa3	,	m4 goi1	.
I	enough	SP		thank you

I am enough already. [= I had enough already.] Thank you.

30.

唔使	喇	，	唔該	，	我	唔	食	蝦	嘅	。
m4 sai2	laa3	,	m4 goi1	,	ngo5	m4	sik6	haa1	ge3	.
not need to	SP		thank you		I	not	eat	shrimp	SP

I don’t need it. Thank you. I don’t eat shrimps.

When our companions want to check if we have eaten something, they may say:

31.

你	飲	咗	湯	未	呀	？
nei5	jam2	zo2	tong1	mei6	aa3	?
you	drink	AP	soup	yet	SP

Have you drunk soup yet?

Route A: Yes

32.

飲	咗	喇	。
jam2	zo2	laa3	.
drink	AP	SP

Yes already.

Route B: No

33.

未	呀	。
mei6	aa3	.
not yet	SP

Not yet.

34.

噉	留	返	啲	俾	你	吖	。
gam2	lau4	faan1	di1	bei2	nei5	aa1	.
then	keep	VP	CL	give	you	SP

Let me keep some left to you then.

Checking availability

If we want to check if something is still available, we can ask:

35.

仲	有	冇	麵	呀	？
zung6	jau5	mou5	min6	aa3	?
still	have	not have	noodle	SP

Are there still noodles?

Route A: A lot left

36.

仲	有	好多	呀	，	你	可以	食	多啲	。
zung6	jau5	hou2 do1	aa3	,	nei5	ho2 ji5	sik6	do1 di1	.
still	have	a lot	SP		you	can	eat	more

There is still a lot. You can eat more.

37.

好	呀	，	唔該	幫	我	夾	啲	吖	。
hou2	aa3	,	m4 goi1	bong1	ngo5	gaap3	di1	aa1	.
good	SP		please	for	me	pick up	CL	SP

Good. [= Sure.] Please pick up some for me.

Route B: A little left

38.

得	返	少少	咋	，	你	可以	食	埋	佢	。
dak1	faan1	siu2 siu2	zaa3	,	nei5	ho2 ji5	sik6	maai4	keoi5	.
only have	VP	a little	SP		you	can	eat	VP	it

There is only a little left. You can eat up it.

39.

剩	返	少少	咋	，	你	可以	食	埋	佢	。
zing6	faan1	siu2 siu2	zaa3	,	nei5	ho2 ji5	sik6	maai4	keoi5	.
remain	VP	a little	SP		you	can	eat	VP	it

Only a little remains left. You can eat up it.

This is one of the rare situations where 佢 refers to something inanimate.

40.

好	呀	，	唔該	幫	我	夾	吖	。
hou2	aa3	,	m4 goi1	bong1	ngo5	gaap3	aa1	.
good	SP		please	for	me	pick up	SP

Good. [= Sure.] Please pick up for me.

Route C: Nothing left

41.

冇	晒	喇	。
mou5	saai3	laa3	.
not have	VP	SP

It’s all gone already.

42.

噉	算啦	。
gam2	syun3 laa1	.
then	never mind

Never mind then.

To check if we can eat more of something, we can ask:

43.

我	可	唔	可以	食	多	隻	瀨尿蝦	呀	？
ngo5	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5	sik6	do1	zek3	laai6 niu6 haa1	aa3	?
I	can	not	can	eat	more	CL	mantis shrimp	SP

Can I eat one more mantis shrimp?

44.

好	呀	，	你	食	吖	。
hou2	aa3	,	nei5	sik6	aa1	.
good	SP		you	eat	SP

Good. [= Sure.] Eat it.

45.

我	仲	未	食	呀	。
ngo5	zung6	mei6	sik6	aa3	.
I	still	not yet	eat	SP

I still haven’t eaten yet.