Buying Meat

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When we walk close to a stall, the shopkeeper will usually ask what we want.

老闆 lou5 baan2

客 haak3

要	啲	咩	呀	？
jiu3	di1	me1	aa3	?
want	CL	what	SP

今日	啲	豬肉	好	靚	呀	。
gam1 jat6	di1	zyu1 juk6	hou2	leng3	aa3	.
today	CL	pork	very	of good quality	SP

What do you want? Today’s pork is of very good quality.

If we want to ask how much something is, we can say:

梅頭	幾多錢 / 幾錢	斤	呀	？
mui4 tau2	gei2 do1 cin2 / gei2 cin2	gan1	aa3	?
pork shoulder butt	how much	catty	SP

How much is one catty of pork shoulder butt [a cut of pork]?

梅頭	點 / 點樣	賣	呀	？
mui4 tau2	dim2 / dim2 joeng2	maai6	aa3	?
pork shoulder butt	how	sell	SP

How is the pork shoulder butt sold?

[= How much is the shoulder butt?]

梅頭	百二	蚊	斤	。
mui4 tau2	baak3 ji6	man1	gan1	.
pork shoulder butt	120	dollar	catty

Pork shoulder butt is $120 for one catty.

要	半	斤	梅頭	吖	唔該	。
jiu3	bun3	gan1	mui4 tau2	aa1	m4 goi1	.
want	half	catty	pork shoulder butt	SP	please

I want half a catty of pork shoulder butt, please.

俾	半	斤	梅頭	我	吖	唔該	。
bei2	bun3	gan1	mui4 tau2	ngo5	aa1	m4 goi1	.
give	half	catty	pork shoulder butt	me	SP	please

Give half a catty of pork shoulder butt to me, please.

We can also indicate the quantity by saying an amount of money.

要	三十	蚊	梅頭	吖	唔該	。
jiu3	saam1 sap6	man1	mui4 tau2	aa1	m4 goi1	.
want	30	dollar	pork shoulder butt	SP	please

I want $30 worth of pork shoulder butt, please.

俾	三十	蚊	梅頭	我	吖	唔該	。
bei2	saam1 sap6	man1	mui4 tau2	ngo5	aa1	m4 goi1	.
give	30	dollar	pork shoulder butt	me	SP	please

Give $30 worth of pork shoulder butt to me, please.

We can add a special requirement to get fatter or leaner meat.

要	肥啲	嘅	。
jiu3	fei4 di1	ge3	.
want	fatter	Part

I want fatter.

10.

要	瘦啲	嘅	。
jiu3	sau3 di1	ge3	.
want	leaner	Part

I want leaner.

11.

要	半	肥	瘦	嘅	。
jiu3	bun3	fei4	sau3	ge3	.
want	half	fat	lean	Part

I want half fat and half lean.

The shopkeeper will sometimes offer discounts or free gifts to encourage us to buy more.

12.

要	多	半	斤	啦	，	平啲	俾	你	嘞	。
jiu3	do1	bun3	gan1	laa1	,	peng4 di1	bei2	nei5	laak3	.
get	more	half	catty	SP		cheaper	give	you	SP

Get half a catty more.

I can give it to you cheaper [= I can sell it to you at a lower price].

要 jiu3 means ‘to get’ here.

13.

要	埋	呢	嚿	啦	，	平啲	俾	你	嘞	。
jiu3	maai4	ni1	gau6	laa1	,	peng4 di1	bei2	nei5	laak3	.
get	VP	this	piece	SP		cheaper	give	you	SP

Get this piece as well.

I can give it to you cheaper [= I can sell it to you at a lower price].

14.

要	五十	蚊	啦	，	俾	多啲	你	嘞	。
jiu3	ng5 sap6	man1	laa1	,	bei2	do1 di1	nei5	laak3	.
get	50	dollar	SP		give	more	you	SP

Get $50 worth of it. I can give more to you.

15.

好	呀	。
hou2	aa3	.
good	SP

Good. [= Okay.]

16.

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

I don’t need it. Thank you.

17.

嗱	，	呢度	半	斤	，	六十	蚊	。
naa4	,	ni1 dou6	bun3	gan1	,	luk6 sap6	man1	.
look		here	half	catty		60	dollar

Look. Here is half a catty. $60.

18.

嗱	，	呢度	五十	蚊	。
naa4	,	ni1 dou6	ng5 sap6	man1	.
look		here	50	dollar

Look. Here is $50 worth of it.

When buying certain cuts of meat, the shopkeeper may ask if we want it cut.

19.

使唔使	幫	你	切	埋	呀	？
sai2 m4 sai2	bong1	nei5	cit3	maai4	aa3	?
need not need to	for	you	cut	VP	SP

Do I need to cut it for you as well?

20.

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

Good. [= Yes.] Thank you.

21.

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

I don’t need it. Thank you.

If the shopkeeper doesn’t ask us about it, we can take the initiative and ask them to help, but they will usually only help if it is something difficult for us to cut on our own.

22.

唔該	可	唔	可以	幫	我	切	埋	呀	？
m4 goi1	ho2	m4	ho2 ji5	bong1	ngo5	cit3	maai4	aa3	?
please	can	not	can	for	me	cut	VP	SP

Can you cut it for me as well, please?

If we are not sure which cut to buy, we can indicate what we want to make and ask for a recommendation.

23.

如果	用	嚟	蒸	排骨	嘅話	，
jyu4 gwo2	jung6	lai4	zing1	paai4 gwat1	ge3 waa2	,
if	use	come	steam	pork rib	if

應該	買	邊	個	位	呀	？
jing1 goi1	maai5	bin1	go3	wai2	aa3	?
should	buy	which	CL	part	SP

If I use it to steam pork ribs, which part should I buy?

24.

如果	用	嚟	蒸	排骨	嘅話	，
jyu4 gwo2	jung6	lai4	zing1	paai4 gwat1	ge3 waa2	,
if	use	come	steam	pork rib	if

應該	買	咩	呀	？
jing1 goi1	maai5	me1	aa3	?
should	buy	what	SP

If I use it to steam pork ribs, what should I buy?

25.

用	嚟	蒸	排骨	買	一字排	啦	，
jung6	lai4	zing1	paai4 gwat1	maai5	jat1 zi6 paai2	laa1	,
use	come	steam	pork rib	buy	pork back rib	SP

要	幾多	呀	？
jiu3	gei2 do1	aa3	?
want	how much	SP

For using it to steam pork ribs, buy pork back ribs. How much do you want?

If we are not sure how much we should buy, we can ask:

26.

如果	六	個	人	食	嘅話	，
jyu4 gwo2	luk6	go3	jan4	sik6	ge3 waa2	,
if	6	CL	person	eat	if

應該	買	幾多	呀	？
jing1 goi1	maai5	gei2 do1	aa3	?
should	buy	how much	SP

If six people eat, how much should I buy?

[= How much should I buy for six people?]

27.

六	個	人	食	買	斤	半	啦	。
luk6	go3	jan4	sik6	maai5	gan1	bun3	laa1	.
6	CL	person	eat	buy	catty	half	SP

For six people eating, buy one and a half catty.

28.

六	個	人	食	買	百五	蚊	啦	。
luk6	go3	jan4	sik6	maai5	baak3 ng5	man1	laa1	.
6	CL	person	eat	buy	150	dollar	SP

For six people eating, buy $150 worth of it.

If we are not sure how much a quantity is actually equal to and want to see it visually, we can ask:

29.

斤	半	即係	大約	幾多	到	呀	？
gan1	bun3	zik1 hai6	daai6 joek3	gei2 do1	dou2	aa3	?
catty	half	be equal to	about	how much	about	SP

How much approximately is one and a half catties equal to?

30.

百五	蚊	有	大約	幾多	到	呀	？
baak3 ng5	man1	jau5	daai6 joek3	gei2 do1	dou2	aa3	?
150	dollar	have	about	how much	about	SP

How much approximately is there for $150 worth of it?

31.

斤	半	即係	大約	咁多	到	。
gan1	bun3	zik1 hai6	daai6 joek3	gam3 do1	dou2	.
catty	half	be equal to	about	this much	about

One and a half catty is equal to approximately this much.

32.

百五	蚊	有	大約	咁多	到	。
baak3 ng5	man1	jau5	daai6 joek3	gam3 do1	dou2	.
150	dollar	have	about	this much	about

There is approximately this much for $150 worth of it.