One thing that came out of the discussion was that he said he believed in God but admitted sometimes it was hard to because he didn’t ‘see’ God. He’s not alone. He’s 9, but 39 and 89 year olds have the same issue. They don’t believe in God basically because they don’t ‘see’ him.

My perception is that what my son sees is school activities, friends, video games, his mom nagging him, his little brother, cars and trees and sky and stuff just going on. It’s pretty simple…it’s just stuff, and it’s just going on. I think a lot of adults carry that perception as well. I don’t think my son was grasping the ‘infinite’ (particularly to a child) complexity and scope of our existence and so we talked about how large the universe is and some of its goings on, and about the universe within us, the smallest, minutest things and that all these things from the incomprehensibly largest and greatest to smallest working together every moment we breath. We talked a bit about thoughts and the brain. Starting the process of having him have some conception of systems and how complex and dependant they are.

So when he looks at the world around him he just doesn’t see cars, trees, sky, friends, video games…but systems….systems upon systems. All things ‘working’ and effecting.
Having discussed this I was able to explain that is where he will see God very clearly, which also led nicely to “ex nihilo nihil fit”; nothing comes from nothing…which is easy for a 9 year old to understand. “Even my brother (6yrs old) would understand that, right dad?”

“yup,…ok bedtime buddy.”

Can I watch a show and understand it? No.
Can I speak to anyone? No.

It especially gets upsetting when you see others who pick it up so fast. Fellows I’ve watched for awhile like this RoadRunning and Cantonese.hk and the venerable Khatzumoto. Pretty bloody depressing.

Something I’ve learned in these last two years is that like photography those who sell you that a good camera doesn’t make a difference and it’s all the photographer are ruthlessly disingenuous, and so it is with the ‘$3000 camera’ that is good memory, and being outgoing to the language learner. There are many other personality and environmental advantages that give some people a leg up in this exercise but you can’t compare yourself to other people and expect to get the same result even when you imagine you’re doing the same things they are. You can only compare yourself to where you were before and whether you are moving forward.

Ok, the positive. If I’ve learned one thing it’s that language learning is a war of attrition, and I just gotta press on. An interesting thing is that often on the heels of these lows comes inspiration, drive and insight. Even as I wallow in my Canto funk I found a bit of a way forward.

The good thing is I’ve maintained interest and daily exposure every day for the last two years. The last few months though I’ve been spending way too much time with ‘entertainment Cantonese’ (Watching shows, movies, dramas, music, etc) without context which although it has it’s place if a huge chunk of it is not being comprehended and there isn’t any supplemental vocab building going on it’s value is negligible. Just not very efficient.
I need to get back on the vocab train, but more than that I need, and indeed want, to read.

I’ve got a large series of audio dialogues that I’ve transcribed and I listen to every day on the train. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to discover, but combining the listening with extended periods of silent reading of the Chinese (characters) seems to supercharge my comprehension. You’d think it would be more confusing, but my mind is more engaged I guess, so it fires more of whatever excites my brain and puzzle pieces start clicking together.

The other huge thing which I have to do is read out loud and actually engage my vocal chords…uhhh ya think? In the past I’d mimic, shadow, and repeat dialogues over and over and over…in my head. But the difference between the voice in my head and my actual mouth is huuuge and although I may think I rock it when I ‘say something’ in my head, when asked to actually open my mouth all I got is ‘uhhhhh’. So although I remain of the opinion that people don’t need to engage in bumbling conversations with their L2 ‘as soon as possible’ and should feel alright to do it only when comfortable, I think I should have been vocalizing in whatever way was comfortable for me, privately reading out loud or some such activity, as much and as early as possible. So I’m going to make that a major part of this next year.

Hopefully next year I can read this post with smug satisfaction that I can answer those previous two important questions about TV and talking with ‘yes’.

“…but its undeniable that the human brain does things which are far beyond what you would expect of a creature that merely has to survive in the Plasticine of Africa and hunt wilder-beast and find waterholes and things…”

I was listening to the recent Dawkins/Rowan Williams (the Archbishop of Canterbury) ‘moderated discussion’ this afternoon and the question of where the higher cognitive abilities we exhibit come from, such as consciousness, that are superfluous to an evolutionary picture of human development and Dawkins response was he felt it was most probably an example of emergence. (around 37:30 minutes in)

“…so there are strong emergent properties in the human mind which arise presumably because in order to build a brain that is good at surviving in a certain way in a mundane world, its rather hard to build that brain which is not automatically capable of doing more advanced things such as mathematics and philosophy. ”

I would wonder how he knows that it’s hard ‘to build a brain good at surviving’ that isn’t automatically capable of our wonderful bonus traits of mathematics and philosophy, particularly when we are the only ones who exhibit them to any extent and the greater part of the animal kingdom seems to carry on quite well in a much more limited capacity to say the least. It seems most other creatures were able to develop without math and philosophy and that we’re inordinately special in comparison…by orders of magnitude. So…how exactly does he know that our uniqueness is somewhat of an emergent inevitability?
Invoking emergence sometimes seems to be a handy way to explain things away when there isn’t a good scientific explanation that still enables you to sound scientific…

“in rather the same way as computers were originally designed as calculating machines and then without any modification it turned out they were also very good at playing chess and drawing pictures and doing all the other things that they do.”

I don’t understand Dawkins appreciation for the computer analogies. Primarily because computers are designed systems that are infused by us with order, purpose and information and I can’t see where chance plays any part at all in their functioning or evolution.

Was there ever a calculating machine that with no modification turned out was good for playing chess? Dawkins knows much more of emergence than I do so presumably that’s why he sees it in his analogy and I don’t. I don’t see how a computer designed for calculating that is then programed or modified to play chess or draw is exhibiting emergence in any way at all analogous to a brain adapting and changing by favourable mutations with no design or intent whatsoever but more favourable for survival manifesting, by it’s very make up and sum of it’s parts, consciousness, feelings, emotions, introspection, self-awareness, empathy, imagination, language,…etc etc.

Well…maybe being able to spell ‘Boobs’ on a calculator is some kind of unexpected emergence?

“when i look up at the nights sky, and I know that yes, we are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact and I look up, many people feel small cuz they’re small and the universe is big, but I feel big because my atoms came from those stars…Theres a level of connectivity”
“Thats really what you want in life. You want to feel connected. You want to feel relevant.”
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Feelings of connection and relevance may appear to give a sense of grandness and purpose to our existence but are actually irrelevant if DeGrasse’s worldview is correct. Any appearance of purpose or an actual relevance would be completely illusory. It is a, …shall we say crutch perhaps?…to give a person some sense of purpose or something bigger than us in universe where there is in fact none but that which is imagined by the brain that holds it.
So what if I’m stardust? So what if just by being alive I’m a participant in the activities and events that go on around me?

I would’ve thought that a self evident and somewhat un-interesting fact. It does sound pretty profound when you back it with a Cinematic Orchestra track though…love them.

I’ve always maintained a tangential interest with the hope one day I could get one…and I finally did. If I’d known as a 10yr old that I wouldn’t get the toy I wanted for another 25 years I can imagine I’d have been pretty despondent.

Axial Wraith

I got onto the Axial Wraith from a Youtube vid somewhere as I was wondering about getting an RC crawler. Crawlers looked great and loved that they could climb everything-but they seemed slow so wasn’t sure one could maintain my interest. Seeing the Wraith I figure I’d found the perfect RC that could do what I used to dream about as a kid. It could crawl, and go a reasonable speed, and looked realistic. So I figured it was time to get one.

I mentioned to my wife on the way home from somewhere that I’d like to stop by a hobby store nearby so I could take a peek. She wasn’t interested so she stayed in the car. I’d known the Wraith was popular and seemed hard to get so wasn’t expecting to see one on the shelf…but there it was. Long story short I came out of the shop with a big box and popped it into the back of the car unbeknownst to my wife. She was ‘little peeved’ by that particular purchase once apprised. Evidently there are more practical things we should be spending our money on.

But she’s come around…
Family fun in the park

我有一個朋友姓金. 佢係瑞士人. 佢而家係香港做事.
ngo5 yau5 yat1 go3 pang4 yau5 sing3 gam1. keui5 hai6 seui6 si6*2 yan4. keui5 yi4 ga1 hai6 heung1 gong2 jou6 si6.
I have a friend whose last name is ‘Gum’. He is Swiss. Now he works in Hong Kong.

今日我喺地鐵站見到佢嗰陣時. 我話金先生!好耐冇見! 你而家去 邊度呀?
gam1 yat6 ngo5 hai2 dei6 tit3 jaam6 gin3 dou3*2 keui5 go2 jan6 si4/4*2. ngo5 wa6*2, gam1 sin1 saang1! hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3! nei5 yi4 ga1 heui3 bin1 dou6 a3?
Today, on the MTR I saw him (). I said, “Mr Gum! Long time no see! Where are you going now?”

我而家去買嘢. 兩點半要去機場接我嘅仔.
ngo5 yi4 ga1 heui3 maai5 ye5. leung5 dim2 bun3 yiu3 heui3 gei1 cheung4 jip3 ngo5 ge3 jai2.
“I’m going shopping now. 2:30 need to go to the airport to meet my son.”

你而家喺邊度做事呀?
nei5 yi4 ga1 hai2 bin1 dou6 jou6 si6 a3?
Where are you working now?”

我而家喺一間美國公司做事. 工作時間係由上晝九點至下晝五點. 有一個鐘頭食晏. 每朝都要搭地鐵火車返工.
ngo5 yi4 ga1 hai2 yat1 gaan1 mei5 gwok3 gung1 si1 jou6 si6. gung1 jok3 si4 gaan1*3 hai6 yau4 seung6 jau3 gau2 dim2 ji3 ha6 jau3 ng5dim2. yau5 yat1 go3 jung1 tau4 sik6 aan3. mui5 chiu4 dou1 yiu3 daap3 dei6 tit3 fo2 che1 faan2 gung1.
I’m now working with an American company. Work is from 9oclock in the morning to 5 in the evening. We have one hour for lunch. Each morning I take the MTR and the train to work.

你太太,呢? 佢係唔係都要返工呀?
nei5 taai3 taai3*2 ne1? keui5 hai6 m4 hai6 dou1 yiu3 faan2 gung1 a3?
And your wife? Does she also go to work?

唔係. 我太太由禮拜一至禮拜五要返學. 佢學廣東話. 學校上晝九點半上堂. 晏晝十二點四 放學
m4 hai6. ngo5 taai3 taai3*2 yau4k lai5 baai3 yat1 ji3 lai5 baai3 ng5 yiu3 faan2 hok6. keui5 hok6 gwong2 dung1 wa6*2. hok6 haau6 seung6 jau3 gau2 dim2 bun3 seung5 tong4. aan3 jau3 sap6 yi6 dim2 sei3 fong3 hok6.
No. My wife, from Mon to Friday goes to school. She is learning Cantonese. 9:30 in the morning attends class. 12:20 in the afternoon classes are over.

下晝我太太有時去買嘢. 有時去探朋友. 每日佢都係咁嘅. 平時我哋兩個都唔係有好多時間
ha6 jau3 ngo5 taai3 taai3*2 yau5 si4 heui3 maai5 ye5. yau5 si4 heui3 taam3 pang4 yau5. mui5 yat6 keui5 dou1 hai6 gam3 ge3. ping4 si4 ngo5 dei6 leung5 go3 dou1 m4 hai6 yau5 hou2 do1 si4 gaan1.
In the afternoon my wife sometimes goes shopping. Sometimes she visits friends. Each day is like that. Usually we both don’t have much time.

我要返工. 佢要讀書. 今日係禮拜六. 佢唔使返學. 喺屋企. 我而家去超級市場買啲橙西瓜蘋果.
ngo5 yiu3 faan2 gung1. keui5 yiu3 duk6 syu1 . gam1 yat6 hai6 lai5 baai3 luk6. keui5 m4 sai2 faan1 hok6. hai2 uk1 kei5*2. ngo5 yi4 ga1 heui3 chiu1 kap1 si5 cheung4 maai5 di1 chaang4*2, sai1 gwa1, ping4 gwo2.
I need to go to work. She needs to go to school. Today is Saturday. She doesn’t have to go to school. She’s at home. I’m going to the supermarket now to buy some oranges, watermellon and apples.

我嘅仔好鍾意食呢啲嘢㗎. 佢今日嚟香港. 我要去機場接佢. 飛機下晝四點半到. 請問,而家幾點啦?
ngo5 ge3 jai2 hou2 jung1 yi3 sik6 ni1 di1 ye5 ga2. keui5 gam1 yat6 lei4 heung1 gong2. ngo5 yiu3 heui3 gei1 cheung4 jip3 keui5. fei1 gei1 ha6 jau3 sei3 dim2 bun3 dou3. cheng2 man6, yi4 ga1 gei2 dim2 la1?
My son loves to eat them. He comes to Hong Kong today. I need to pick him up at the airport. Plane arrives at 4:30 in the afternoon. What’s the time now please?

而家係一點半喇
oh, yi4 ga1 hai6 yat1 dim2 bun3 la3.
Oh, now is 1:30.

係呀. 我要走喇. 第日見啦
hai6 a3. ngo5 yiu3 jau2 la3. dai6 yat6 gin3 la3.
Ahh ok. I need to go. See you another day!

好, 第日見
hou2, dai6 yat6 gin3.
Great, see you another day.

下星期日,阿美想同麗沙去一間酒樓飲茶, 但係麗沙唔知嗰間酒樓係邊度
ha6 sing1 kei4 yat1, a3 mei5 seung2 tung4 lai6 sa1 heui3 yat1 gaan1 jau2 lau4 yam2 cha4, daan6 hai6 lai6 sa1 m4 ji1 go3 gaan1 jau2 lau4 hai6 bin1 dou6.
Next Sunday May wants to go with (lai sah) to a restaurant for tea. But (lai sah) doesnt know where the restaurant is.

麗沙話 “ 阿美, 呢間酒樓係邊度呀? 係唔係喺地鐵站附近呀?”
lai6 sa1 wa6*2; “a3 mei5, ni1 gaan1 jau2 lau4 hai6 bin1 dou6 a3? hai6 m4 hai6 hai2 dei6 tit3 jaam6 fu6 gan6 a3?”
(lai sah) said, “May, Where is this restaurant? Is it near the MTR station?”

阿美話; “係呀. 地鐵站附近有一間好大嘅 超級市場. 你喺超級市場一直行
a3 mei5 wa6*2; hai6 a3. dei6 tit3 jaam6 fu6 gan6 yau5 yat1 gaan1 hou2 daai6 ge3 chiu1 kap1 si5 cheung4. nei5 hai2 chiu1 kap1 si5 cheung4 yat1 jik6 haang4.
May said; “That’s right. The MTR station is near a really big supermarket. From the supermarket you go straight ahead.”

就見 前便有一個商場. 商場裡便有一間書局”
jau6 gin3 chin4 bin6 yau5 yat1 go3 seung1 cheung4. seung1 cheung4 leui5 bin6 yau5 yat1 gaan1 syu1 guk6*2
Then you’ll see ahead of you a mall. Inside the mall there’s a book store.

“我知啦. 書局隔籬係唔係有一間生果舖頭呀?”
ngo5 ji1 la3. syu1 guk6*2 gaak3 lei4 hai6 m4 hai6 yau5 yat1 gaan1 saang1 gwo2 pou3 tau4*2 a3
Oh, I know! Isn’t there a fruit store next to the book store?

“係呀. 酒樓就喺嗰間書局對面”
hai6 a3. jau2 lau4 jau6 hai2 go3 gaan1 syu1 guk6*2 deui3 min6.”
That’s right. The restaurant is opposite the book store.

“ohh. 酒樓喺商場裡便. 我識點去喇. 唔係好難啫”
jau2 lau4 hai2 seung1 cheung4 leui5 bin6. ngo5 sik1 dim2 heui3 la3. m4 hai6 hou2 naan4 je1.
Ohh. The restaurant is inside the mall. I know how to get there. It’s not so difficult.

“咁,下個星期日我哋喺嗰間酒樓裡便等啦”
gam3, ha6 go3 sing1 kei4 yat6 ngo5 dei6 hai2 go3 gaan1 jau2 lau4 leui5 bin6 dang2 la3
So, next Sunday we’ll wait inside that restaurant.

“我 知! 下個星期日係你生日, 係唔係呀”
ngo5 ji1! ha6 go3 sing1 kei4 yat6 hai6 nei5 saang1 yat6, hai6 m4 hai6 a3?
Ahhh! Next Sunday is your birthday, right?

“係呀,你點知呀”
hai6 a3,nei5 dim2 ji1 a3
Yeah, how did you know?

“咁, 你鍾意(乜嘢)生日禮物呀”
gam3, nei5 jung1 yi3 me1 ye5 saang1 yat6 lai5 mat6 a3?
So, what present would you like for your birthday?

“唔使客氣啦! 一張生日卡就得喇!”
m4 sai2 haak3 hei3 la3! yat1 jeung1 saang1 yat6 kaat1 jau6 dak1 la3!
Don’t worry about it! A birthday card’s ok!

張太太有兩個細蚊仔. 一個仔, 一個女. 佢嘅仔六歲. 佢嘅女三歲.
jeung1 taai3 taai3*2 yau5 leung5 go3 sai3 man1 jai2. yat1 go3 jai2, yat1 go3 neui5. keui5 ge3 jai2 luk6 seui3. keui5 ge3 neui5 saam1 seui3.
Mrs Cheung has two children. One boy, one girl. The boy is 6 years old. The girl is 3 years old.

今日張太太想買一啲衫畀佢嘅細蚊仔. 佢都想買一條裙畀佢嘅女
gam1 yat6 jeung1 taai3 taai3 seung2 maai5 yat1 di1 saam1 bei2 keui5 ge3 sai3 man1 jai2. keui5 dou1 seung2 maai5 yat1 tiu4*2 kwan4 bei2 keui5 ge3 neui5.
Today, Mrs Jueng wants to buy a shirt for her children. She also wants to buy a skirt for her daughter.

太太歡迎! 隨便睇啦…
taai3 taai3*2 fun1 ying4! cheui4 bin6*2 tai2 la1…
Welcome Mrs! Roam around, take a look freely…

我想買啲衫畀我嘅細蚊仔
ngo5 seung2 maai5 di1 saam1 bei2 ngo5 ge3 sai3 man1 jai2.
I want to buy some clothes for my children.

呢啲係新嘅. 你隨便睇啦
ni1 di1 hai6 san1 ge3 . nei5 cheui4 bin6*2 tai2 la1.
Here are some new arrivals, take a look.

呢件太長. 嗰件太短. 嗰件幾好. 我鍾意嗰件.
ni1 gin6 taai3 cheung4. go2 gin6 taai3 dyun2. go2 gin6 gei2 hou2. ngo5 jung1 yi3 go2 gin6.
This one is too long. That one is too short. Those are pretty good. I like that one.

你嘅細蚊仔幾多歲呀?
nei5 ge3 sai3 man1 jai2 gei2 do1 seui3 a3
Your children, how old are they?

一個六歲. 一個三歲. 呢件啱啱好. 我要兩件.
yat6 go3 luk6 seui3. yat6 go3 saam1 seui3. ni1 gin6 ngaam1 ngaam1 hou2. ngo5 yiu3 leung5 gin6.
One is 6, one is 3. This one is just right. I take two of these.

太太呢件好好. 你要唔要褲,裙呀?
taai3 taai3 ni1 gin6 hou2 hou2. nei5 yiu3 m4 yiu3 fu3 kwan4 a3 ?
Mrs, This one is very good. Do you need pants? skirt?

我想買一條裙畀我嘅女. 呢條太短.
ngo5 seung2 maai5 yat6 tiu4 kwan4 bei2 ngo5 ge3 neui5*2. ni1 tiu4 taai3 dyun2.
I want to buy a skirt for my daughter. This ones too short.

呢條呢
ni1 tiu4 nei4?
What about this one?

呢條啱啱好. 我要呢兩件衫, 呢條裙. 一共幾多錢呀?
ni1 tiu4 ngaam1 ngaam1 hou2 . ngo5 yiu3 ni1 leung5 gin6 saam1, ni1 tiu4 kwan4. yat1 gung6 gei2 do1 chin4 a3 ?
This one’s perfect. Iwant 2 of this shirt, and this skirt. In total how much?

呢件衫一百五十文一件. 兩件平啲. 兩件二百七十文. 呢條裙一百八十九文. 一共四百五十九文
ni1 gin6 saam1 yat1 baak3 ng5 sap6 man4 yat1 gin6. leung5 gin6 peng4 di1. leung5 gin6 yi6 baak3 chat1 sap6 man4. ni1 tiu4 kwan4 yat1 baak3 baat3 sap6 gau2 man4. yat1 gung6 sei3 baak3 ng5 sap6 gau2 man4.
These shirts 150.00/each. Two is cheaper. 2 is 270bucks. This skirt is 189bucks. All together 459 dollars.

嘩! 咁貴!平啲得唔得呀? 冚唪唥四百三十文啦
wa4! gam3 gwai3! peng4 di1 dak1 m4 dak1 a3? ham6 baang6 laang6 sei3 baak3 saam1 sap6 man4 la3.
Wow, so expensive. Cheaper ok? All together 430 dollars.

對唔住,好平喇! 四百五十文喇
deui3 m4 jyu6, hou2 peng4 la3 ! sei3 baak3 ng5 sap6 man4 la3 .
Sorry, very cheap. $450 bucks.

四百四十文啦
sei3 baak3 sei3 sap6 man4 la3.
$440 dollars.

太太, 真係唔得呀. 四百五十文喇
taai3 taai3*2,jan1 hai6 m4 dak1 a3. sei3 baak3 ng5 sap6 man4 la3 .
Mrs, really can’t. $450 dollars.

好喇. 你哋舖頭收唔收信用卡㗎?
hou2 la3. nei5 dei6 pou3 tau4*2 sau1 m4 sau1 seun3 yung6 kaat1 ga2?
Ok then. Does your store take credit card?

冇問題. 請你等一陣喇.
mou5 man6 tai4. cheng2 nei5 dang2 yat1 jan6 la3.
No problem. Please wait a moment.

好呀.
hou2 a3.
Great.

多謝
do1 je6
Thank you.

Comprehension Lesson 4 (第四課/dai6 sei3 fo3)
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/clc/cpd/book1/sound/4s.mp3

How much for this fruit?
啲生果點買呀?
di1 saang1 gwo2 dim2 maai5 a1

Which kind of fruit do you want to buy?
你想買乜嘢生果呀?
nei5 seung2 maai5 mat1 ye5 saang1 gwo2 a1

I want oranges, apples, watermelon, also want pears, mango, and grapes.
我要橙, 蘋果, 西瓜, 都要棃,芒果, 同提子
ngo5 yiu3 chaang4*2, ping4 gwo2, sai1 gwa1, dou1 lei4, mong4*1 gwo2 tung4 tai4 ji2

You buy so much much fruit. You have a friends birthday?
你買咁多生果. 有朋友生日呀?
nei5 maai5 gam3 do1 saang1 gwo2. yau5 pang4 yau5 saang1 yat6 a1

Not a friend’s birthday. It’s a classmates birthday.
唔係朋友生日. 係同學生日
m4 hai6 pang4 yau5 saang1 yat6. hai6 tung4 hok6 saang1 yat6.

When’s their birthday?
佢幾時生日呀?
keui5 gei2 si4/4*2 saang1 yat6 a1.

His/Her birthday’s tomorrow. How much are the oranges each?
佢聽日生日. 啲橙幾錢個呀?
keui5 ting1 yat6 saang1 yat6. di1 chaang4*2 gei2 chin4 go3 a1?

The oranges are 3/each. How many do you need?
啲橙三文一個. 你要幾多個呀?
di1 chaang4*2 saam1 man4 yat1 go3. nei5 yiu3 gei2 do1 go3 a1?

I need 12.
我要十二個
ngo5 yiu3 sap6 yi6 go3.

Apples are $10 for 4. You also need 12?
蘋果十文四個. 你都要十二個呀?
ping4 gwo2 sap6 man4 sei3 go3. nei5 dou1 yiu3 sap6 yi6 go3 a1?.

Yes. Please give 12 to me. How much is watermelon?
係. 唔該你畀十二個我. 西瓜點買呀?
hai6. m4 goi1 nei5 bei2 nei5 sap6 yi6 go3 ngo5. sai1 gwa1 dim2 maai5 a1?

Today the watermelon is very cheap. 2.20/pound. big watermelons are 12lbs, small watermelons are 6lbs. Which do you want?
今日西瓜好平. 兩個二一磅. 大西瓜十二磅, 細西瓜六磅. 你要邊個呀?
gam1 yat6 sai1 gwa1 hou2 peng4. leung5 go3 yi6 yat1 bong6. daai6 sai1 gwa1 sap6 yi6 bong6, sai3 sai1 gwa1 luk6 bong6. nei5 yiu3 bin1 go3 a1?.

I want a big watermelon. What about pears? How much each? Are they Australian pears?
我要大西瓜. 你呢? 幾錢個呀? 係唔係澳洲棃呀?
ngo5 yiu3 daai6 sai1 gwa1. nei5 ne1? gei2 chin4 go3 a1? hai6 m4 hai6 ou3 jau1 lei4 a1?

They aren’t Australian pears. They are Chinese pears. 1.50/each. How many do you want?
唔係澳洲棃. 係中國棃. 個半一個.你要幾多個呀?
m4 hai6 ou3 jau1 lei4. hai6 jung1 gwok3 lei4. go3 bun3 yat1 go3. nei5 yiu3 gei2 do1 go3 a1?

I want 10. Are the mango’s nice?
我要十個. 啲芒果靚唔靚呀?
ngo5 yiu3 sap6 go3. di1 mong4*1 gwo2 leng3*1 m4 leng3*1 a1?

Very nice. They are Phillipino mangos. 10 dollars for two.
好靚. 係菲律賓芒果. 十文二個
hou2 leng3*1. hai6 fei1 leut6 ban1 mong4*1 gwo2. sap6 man4 leung5 go3 sVery nice. They

I need 8. What about grapes? How much are the grapes per pound?
我要八個. 提子呢? 提子幾錢磅呀?
ngo5 yiu3 baat3 go3. tai4 ji2 ne1? tai4 ji2 gei2 chin4 bong6 a1?

Today the grapes aren’t so good. How much do you want?
今日提子唔係幾靚. 你想要幾多呀?
gam1 yat6 tai4 ji2 m4 hai6 gei2 leng3*1. nei5 seung2 yiu3 gei2 do1 a1?

The grapes look bad. I don’t want grapes. The fruit (hum ba larn=all together), how much is it?
提子唔靚. 我唔要提子喇. 啲生果冚唪唥幾多錢呀?
tai4 ji2 m4 leng3*1. ngo5 m4 yiu3 tai4 ji2 la3. di1 saang1 gwo2 ham6 baang6 laang6 gei2 do1 chin4 a1?

Everything is 147.40
一共一百四十七個四
yat1 gung6 yat1 baak3 sei3 sap6 chat1 go3 sei3.

Cheaper la! How ’bout 130.00 ok?
平啲喇. 一百三 十文好嗎?
peng4 di1 la3. yat1 baak3 saam1 sap6 man1 hou2 ma1?

This fruit is so cheap! Is 140 good?
啲水果好平喇!一百四十文好嗎?
di1 saang1 gwo2 hou2 peng4 la3! yat1 baak3 sei3 sap6 man1 hou2 ma1?

Ok good, but I don’t have spare change. I’ll give you 1000, ok?
好,但係我冇散銀. 我畀一千文你, 好嗎?
hou2, daan6 hai6 ngo5 mou5 saan3*2 ngan4*2. ngo5 bei2 yat1 chin1 man1 nei5, hou2 ma1?

Good, change is 860.00, thank you.
好, 找返八百六十文,多謝
hou2, jaau2 faan1 baat3 baak3 luk6 sap6 man1,do1 je6

My surname is Chan. My name is (陳馬麗) ‘Ma Lai’ (Mary) Chan. I am from Hong Kong.
我姓陳/ ngo5 sing3 chan4. 我叫咗陳瑪莉 /ngo5 giu3 jo2 chan4 ma5 lei6. 我係香港人/ngo5 hai6 heung1 gong2 yan4.

I have a few good friends. One is Japanese. His/Her surname is ‘San Boon’. Her name is ‘Yow May’ San Boon.
我有幾個好朋友/ngo5 yau5 gei2 go3 hou2 pang4 yau5. 一個係日本人/yat1 go3 hai6 yat6 bun2 yan4. 佢姓山本/keui5 sing3 saan1 bun2. 叫咗山本尤美/giu3 jo2 saan1 bun2 yau4 mei5.

One is Korean. His surname is ‘Gum’. His name is ‘Yut Ming’ Gum. One is American. Her Husbands surname is Wong.
yut go hai 韓國人hon gwok yun. keoi sing 金gam1Gum. giu jo 金一明gum yut ming. 一個係美國人/yat1 go3 hai6 mei5 gwok3 yan4. 佢先生姓王/ keui5 sin1 saang1 sing3 wong4.

Her husband is from Hong Kong. Miss San Boon, is sometimes pretty. Sometimes not too pretty.
佢先生係香港人/ keui5 sin1 saang1 hai6 hai6 heung1 gong2 yan4. 山本小姐有時好靚 / saan1 bun2 siu2 je2 yau5 si4 hou2 leng3. 有時唔係幾靚/ yau5 si4 m4 hai6 gei2 leng3.

She has a boyfriend from Hong Kong. Mr Gum doesn’t have a girlfriend. Miss San Boon and Mr Gum last year have been learning English.
佢有一個香港男朋友/ keui5 yau5 yat1 go3 heung1 gong2 naam4 pang4 yau5. 金先生冇女朋友/gam1 sin1 saang1 mou5 neui5 pang4 yau5. 山本小姐金先生舊年學英文/saan1 bun2 siu2 je2 gam1 sin1 saang1 gau6 nin4*2 hok6 ying1 man4*2/4.

This year learning Cantonese. Ms Wong is also learning Cantonese. The three are in the same class.
今年學廣東話/gam1 nin4 hok6 gwong2 dung1 wa6*2. 王太今年都學廣東話/wong4 taai3 gam1 nin4 dou1hok6 gwong2 dung1 wa6*2. 佢哋三個人一班/keui5 dei6 saam1 go3 yan4 yat1 baan1.

Some classes have five or six students. Some classes have many students. Have 11 or 12 of them.
有啲 班有五六個學生/yau5 di1 baan1 yau5 ng5 luk6 go3 hok6 saang1. 有啲 班有好多學生/yau5 di1 baan1 yau5 hou2 do1 hok6 saang1. 有十一二個/yau5 sap6 yat1 yi6 go3.

Today is miss San Boons birthday. We bought her a birthday card yesterday. This Birthday Card is really nice.
山本小姐今日生日/saan1 bun2 siu2 je2 gam1 yat6 saang1 yat6. 我哋尋日買一個生日卡/ngo5 dei6 cham4 yat6 maai5 yat1 go3 saang1 yat6 kaat1. 呢個生日卡好靚/ ni1 go3 saang1 yat6 kaat1 hou2 leng3.

Also not that expensive. Mr Gums birthday was last month. Ms Wong’s birthday is on Dec 20.
都唔係幾貴/dou1 m4 hai6 gei2 gwai3. 金先生上個月生日/gam1 sin1 saang1 seung6 go3 yut6 saang1 yat6. 王太十二月二十號生日/wong4 taai3 sap6 yi6 yut6 yi6 sap6 hou6 saang1 yat6.

The day after tomorrow is my birthday. Next Monday also my birthday. I have two birthdays. I don’t need a birthday card. I need an english book.
後日係我生日/hau6 yat6 hai6 ngo5 saang1 yat6. 下個禮拜一都係我生日/ha6 go3 lai5 baai3 yat1 dou1 hai6 ngo5 saang1 yat6. 我有兩個生日/ngo5 yau5 leung5 go3 saang1 yat6. 我唔要生日卡/ ngo5 m4 yiu3 saang1 yat6 kaat1. 我要一本英文書/ngo5 yiu3 yat1 bun2 ying1 man4*2/4 syu1.