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如果用嚟蒸排骨嘅話，應該買邊個位呀？
jyu4 gwo2 jung6 lai4 zing1 paai4 gwat1 ge3 waa2, jing1 goi1 maai5 bin1 go3 wai2 aa3?
jyu4 gwo2 jung6 lai4 zing1 paai4 gwat1 ge3 waa2, jing1 goi1 maai5 bin1 go3 wai2 aa3?
Grammar and Vocabulary
In the Grammar and Vocabulary section, you will learn:
- Numbers IV
- The Conjunctions 如果 jyu4 gwo2 (‘if’) and 嘅話 ge3 waa2 (‘if’)
- Topics III
- The Question Word 幾多 gei2 do1 (‘how many, how much’) IV (Uncountable Nouns)
- Vocabulary List
- Vocabulary: Pork Cuts and Methods to Cook Pork
- Vocabulary: Beef Cuts and Methods to Cook Beef
43.1 Numbers IV
For a number with three or more digits (e.g., 250, 3400, 46000), if the first two digits are non-zero digits and all the remaining digits are zero, we can omit the place value for the second digit. We will use prices as examples below, but we can also do the same with other quantities.
If the first digit is 1, we will omit it at the same time.
Grammar Practice 1
Say each price with the omission of the place value for the second digit. Then, check your answers and repeat after the recordings.
1. $320
2. $1800
3. $66000
4. $150
5. $7300
6. $14000
43.2 The Conjunctions 如果 jyu4 gwo2 (‘if’) and 嘅話 ge3 waa2 (‘if’)
The conjunctions 如果 jyu4 gwo2 and 嘅話 ge3 waa2 mean ‘if’ (as in if you want to steam pork ribs, buy back ribs). We use 如果 jyu4 gwo2 and 嘅話 ge3 waa2 to connect two different parts in a sentence. In the context of this lesson, the first part will be a specific scenario, the second part will be a suggested action for that scenario. We put 如果 jyu4 gwo2 before the scenario and 嘅話 ge3 waa2 after the scenario.
We can use either 如果 jyu4 gwo2 or 嘅話 ge3 waa2 on their own.
It is possible to move the scenario after the suggested action.
When we move the scenario after the suggested action, we can still use either 如果 jyu4 gwo2 or 嘅話 ge3 waa2 on their own.
To ask for a suggested action for a scenario, we can put a question in the part of the suggested action.
When we put a question in the part of the suggested action, we can still use either 如果 jyu4 gwo2 or 嘅話 ge3 waa2 on their own, or move the scenario after the suggested action.
43.3 Topics III
In Grammar and Vocabulary 28.6 and 29.3, 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.
So far the topic we have seen in a sentence is always a noun phrase. The topic of a sentence can also be a verb phrase, a serial verb construction, or even a short sentence.
The verb phrase 蒸排骨 zing1 paai4 gwat1 (‘to steam pork ribs’) appears at the beginning of the sentence and signals that the sentence is about steaming pork ribs. The serial verb construction 用嚟蒸排骨 jung6 lai4 zing1 paai4 gwat1 (‘to use it to steam pork ribs’) appears at the beginning of the sentence and signals that the sentence is about using the pork to steam pork ribs. The short sentence 四個人食 sei3 go3 jan4 sik6 (‘four people eat’) appears at the beginning of the sentence and signals that the sentence is about four people eating.43.4 The Question Word 幾多 gei2 do1 (‘how many, how much’) IV (Uncountable Nouns)
In Grammar and Vocabulary 11.6, we learned that the question word 幾多 gei2 do1 is similar to how many or how much in English. We also learned that if the noun is countable, we often add a classifier between 幾多 gei2 do1 and the noun. In Grammar and Vocabulary 28.8 and 42.8, we learned that we can also put a container classifier (e.g., 碗 wun2 ‘bowl’) or a measurement unit classifier (e.g., 斤 gan1 ‘catty’) between 幾多 gei2 do1 and the noun. This is especially useful when the noun is uncountable.
When the noun is uncountable, we can also put 幾多 gei2 do1 right before the noun without adding a classifier in between. We do so especially when we are not sure how the listener will indicate the quantity or we want to give the listener flexibility.
要幾多一字排呀？
jiu3 gei2 do1 jat1 zi6 paai2 aa3?
How much pork back ribs do you want?
We usually omit the noun and simply say 幾多 gei2 do1 if it is obvious in the context.
用嚟蒸排骨買一字排啦，要幾多一字排呀？
jung6 lai4 zing1 paai4 gwat1 maai5 jat1 zi6 paai2 laa1, jiu3 gei2 do1 jat1 zi6 paai2 aa3?
For using it to steam pork ribs, buy pork back ribs. How much do you want?
43.5 Vocabulary List
43.6 Vocabulary: Pork Cuts and Methods to Cook Pork
Pork Cuts
Methods to Cook Pork
43.7 Vocabulary: Beef Cuts and Methods to Cook Beef
Beef Cuts
Methods to Cook Beef
Communication
In the Communication section, you will learn:
- Buying Meat
Buying Meat
When we walk close to a stall, the shopkeeper will usually ask what we want.
If we want to ask how much something is, we can say:
We can also indicate the quantity by saying an amount of money.
We can add a special requirement to get fatter or leaner meat.
The shopkeeper will sometimes offer discounts or free gifts to encourage us to buy more.
- 要 jiu3 means ‘to get’ here.
When buying certain cuts of meat, the shopkeeper may ask if we want it cut.
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.
If we are not sure which cut to buy, we can indicate what we want to make and ask for a recommendation.
If we are not sure how much we should buy, we can ask:
If we are not sure how much a quantity is actually equal to and want to see it visually, we can ask: