In the Grammar and Vocabulary section, you will learn:

• The Expression 諗住 nam2 zyu6 (‘to plan to, to intend to’)
• The Question Words 乜嘢 mat1 je5 and 咩 me1 (‘what’) II
• Adverbs of Frequency
• The Modal Verb 會 wui5 (‘will’) III (Habit)
• The Adverb 最 zeoi3 (‘most’)
• Classifiers for Food and Drinks IV (Groceries)
• Using 嚟 lai4 / lei4 (‘to come’) to Indicate Purposes
• Using Indefinite Noun Phrases with 同 tung4 (‘and’) and 同埋 tung4 maai4 (‘and’)
• Vocabulary List
• Vocabulary: Types of Wet Market Stalls
• Vocabulary: Fruits
• Vocabulary: Fish

The verb 諗 nam2 means ‘to think’. We can add the aspect particle 住 zyu6 after 諗 nam2 to form the expression 諗住 nam2 zyu6, which means ‘to plan to, to intend to’. We put the activity we plan or intend to do after 諗住 nam2 zyu6. 住 zyu6 here indicates a continuous state. We haven’t learned this use of 住 zyu6 yet. For now, simply remember 諗住 nam2 zyu6 as a fixed expression.

When the question words 乜嘢 mat1 je5 and 咩 me1 (‘what’) are put after a verb, we can optionally add the classifier 啲 di1 before them if we expect the answer to be plural or uncountable.

We can use the following adverbs of frequency to indicate how often we do an activity. When we use 通常 tung1 soeng4 (‘usually’), 成日 seng4 jat6 (‘very often’), 好多時 hou2 do1 si4 (‘often’) and 從來唔 cung4 loi4 m4 (‘never’), we can add 都 dou1 to emphasize how we often or how we never do an activity.

We put an adverb of frequency before the verb in a sentence. When we use an adverb of frequency to talk about our habit, we often use the sentence particle 嘅 ge3.

To indicate we do an activity as often as someone, we can add the adverb 都 dou1 (‘too’) before the adverb of frequency. Notice 嘅 ge3 becomes 㗎 gaa3 below because we add 呀 aa3 to emphasize that we have something in common (嘅 ge3 + 呀 aa3 → 㗎 gaa3).

We don’t usually add the 都 dou1 for emphasis after 通常 tung1 soeng4, 成日 seng4 jat6, 好多時 hou2 do1 si4 or 從來唔 cung4 loi4 m4 if we have already added 都 dou1 before these adverbs of frequency to mean ‘too’.

We can add 都 dou1 (‘too’) after 有時 jau5 si4 and 間中 gaan3 zung1 / 間唔中 gaan3 m4 zung1 to indicate we do another activity as well.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 23.3, we learned that we can use the modal verb 會 wui5 (‘will’) to indicate an activity will happen.

We can also use the modal verb 會 wui5 to talk about our habit. When we do so, we often use the sentence particle 嘅 ge3.

We can add an adverb of frequency before 會 wui5 to indicate how often we will do an activity.

To indicate we will do an activity as often as someone, we can add the adverb 都 dou1 (‘too’) before the adverb of frequency. Notice 嘅 ge3 becomes 㗎 gaa3 below because we add 呀 aa3 to emphasize that we have something in common (嘅 ge3 + 呀 aa3 → 㗎 gaa3).

We don’t usually add the 都 dou1 for emphasis after 通常 tung1 soeng4, 成日 seng4 jat6, 好多時 hou2 do1 si4 or 從來唔 cung4 loi4 m4 if we have already added 都 dou1 before these adverbs of frequency to mean ‘too’.

We can add 都 dou1 (‘too’) after 有時 jau5 si4 and 間中 gaan3 zung1 / 間唔中 gaan3 m4 zung1 to indicate we do another activity as well.

To ask whether someone has a habit of doing an activity, we can use 會 wui5 to form a yes-no question. We use the X-not-X construction to form the question. Notice X will be 會 wui5 instead of the verb behind it.

To answer the questions, we can give a long answer or a short answer. We give a short answer more often.

For positive answers, we often add how often we do the activity.

For negative answers, we can indicate that we rarely do the activity instead.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 26.3. we learned that we can put the adverb 最 zeoi3 (‘most’) before a location expression.

The adverb 最 zeoi3 is a degree word. We can put it before a preference verb (e.g., 鍾意 zung1 ji3 ‘to like’, 憎 zang1 ‘to hate’) to modify the preference verb.

When the adverb 唔 m4 (‘not’) is put before the preference verb, we put 最 zeoi3 before 唔 m4.

Here are some common classifiers we use when buying groceries:

Here are some common classifiers we use to refer to a group of things:

We can use the word 嚟 lai4 ('to come’, also pronounced as lei4) to indicate the purpose of an action in the following sentence structure. The action in the first verb phrase usually involves getting, bringing or handling an item (e.g., 買 maai5 ‘to buy’, 拎 ling1 ‘to take’ and cooking verbs). This item will be used to complete the purpose in the second verb phrase. 嚟 lai4 here functions like the English word to (as in I want to buy a fish to boil soup). In grammar, this structure is a serial verb construction.

We can omit the item in the first verb phrase if it is obvious in the context.

If the first verb phrase and the second verb phrase have the same object, we will omit the object in the second verb phrase.

We can also use this structure to indicate the cooking method for something. We can put the cooking verb in the first verb phrase and the verb 食 sik6 (‘to eat’) in the second verb phrase. We often omit the item.

We can add a modal verb (e.g., 想 soeng2 ‘to want to’, 要 jiu3 ‘to need to’, 會 wui5 ‘will’) or 諗住 nam2 zyu6 (‘to plan to’) before the first verb phrase.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 3.3, we learned to use 同 tung4 (‘and’) or 同埋 tung4 maai4 (‘and’) to join two or more items.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 6.2, we learned that we can omit the number 一 jat1 if an indefinite noun phrase appears after a verb.

Things become a bit tricky when we use 同 tung4 or 同埋 tung4 maai4 to join two or more indefinite noun phrases with 一 jat1 omitted.

If the classifier 啲 di1 is used in all the noun phrases, we will keep the first 啲 di1 and omit the other 啲.

In other cases, we will keep all the classifiers and repeat the verb before every classifier.

If there is a number before each classifier, we don’t need to repeat the verb.

The name of a stall or small shop at the wet market often ends with the word 檔 dong3 (‘stall’).

The word 檔 dong3 is also used as the classifier for stalls. We can also use the classifier for shops 間 gaan1.

In the Communication section, you will learn:

• Talking About Cooking Dinner