Hot Day at the Cha Chaan Teng — Cantonese Listening Practice

Tsz Hin

咦，輝哥！呢邊有位呀。

Oh, Kwong! There's a seat here.

Word meanings

咦: oh · Interjection used when you suddenly notice someone.
輝哥: Kwong · Friendly way to call a man; 哥 is added to a name for an older man.
呢邊: here · This side; 呢 means this and 邊 means side.
有: there is · To have or to exist; here it means a seat is free.
位: seat · Short for 座位, a seat or a place.
呀: Sentence-final particle that softens the tone of a suggestion.

Chi Keung

出面熱到痴線，我行過嚟咋。

It's insanely hot outside, I just walked over.

Word meanings

出面: outside · Out there; 出 means out and 面 means side.
熱到: so hot that · 熱 hot plus 到, meaning to the point of.
痴線: insanely · Literally 'nerves broken'; slang for crazy, here meaning extremely.
我: I · First-person pronoun, I or me.
行過嚟: walked over · 行 walk plus 過 over plus 嚟 towards the speaker.
咋: Sentence-final particle meaning only, that's all.

Tsz Hin

你飲咩呀？

What are you drinking?

Word meanings

你: you · Second-person pronoun.
飲: drink · To drink; here asking what he will order.
咩: what · Casual spoken word for what.
呀: Sentence-final particle for a casual question.

Chi Keung

凍奶茶，少甜。

Iced milk tea, less sweet.

Word meanings

凍: iced · Cold; for drinks it means iced.
奶茶: milk tea · Tea with milk, a standard cha chaan teng drink.
少甜: less sweet · 少 less plus 甜 sweet; a common way to order a drink.

Tsz Hin

我凍檸茶，唔該。

Iced lemon tea for me, thanks.

Word meanings

我: I · First-person pronoun.
凍檸茶: iced lemon tea · 凍 iced plus 檸 lemon plus 茶 tea; a cha chaan teng classic.
唔該: thanks · Used to get a waiter's attention or to thank for a service.

Chi Keung

我有個朋友話，深水埗開咗間新茶樓。

A friend of mine said a new tea house opened in Sham Shui Po.

Word meanings

我: I · First-person pronoun.
有個: there's a · 有 to have plus 個, a general classifier.
朋友: friend · A friend, not a romantic partner here.
話: said · To say or to tell someone.
深水埗: Sham Shui Po · A district in Kowloon.
開咗: opened · 開 to open plus 咗, showing the action is done.
間: Classifier for shops, restaurants and buildings.
新茶樓: new tea house · 茶樓 is a restaurant that serves dim sum; 新 means new.

Tsz Hin

係咩？咁禮拜六去試吓？

Really? Then shall we go try it on Saturday?

Word meanings

係咩: really? · 係 is plus 咩 what; shows mild surprise.
咁: then · In that case; spoken gam2 when it means then.
禮拜六: Saturday · 禮拜 week plus 六 six, giving Saturday.
去: go · To go.
試吓: try it · 試 try plus 吓 a bit, making a casual suggestion.

Chi Keung

好，八點。

OK, eight o'clock.

Word meanings

好: OK · Good; here it shows agreement.
八點: eight o'clock · 八 eight plus 點 o'clock.

Tsz Hin

八點太早，九點好啲。

Eight is too early, nine is better.

Word meanings

八點: eight o'clock · 八 eight plus 點 o'clock.
太早: too early · 太 too plus 早 early.
九點: nine o'clock · 九 nine plus 點 o'clock.
好啲: better · 好 good plus 啲 a bit; 啲 marks the comparison.

Chi Keung

九點要等位，八點半。

At nine we'd have to wait for a table, 8:30.

Word meanings

九點: nine o'clock · 九 nine plus 點 o'clock.
要: would have to · Need to, must; here it means it would be necessary.
等位: wait for a table · 等 wait plus 位 seat; very common in busy restaurants.
八點半: 8:30 · 八 eight plus 點 o'clock plus 半 half.

Tsz Hin

好，八點半。等陣。

OK, 8:30. Wait.

Word meanings

好: OK · Good; here it shows agreement.
八點半: 8:30 · 八 eight plus 點 o'clock plus 半 half.
等陣: wait · 等 wait plus 陣 a short while; used like 'hold on'.

Chi Keung

咩事？

What's up?

Word meanings

咩事: what's up · 咩 what plus 事 matter; a casual way to ask what's wrong.

Tsz Hin

我唔記得咗，禮拜六要返半日。

I forgot, I have to work half a day on Saturday.

Word meanings

我: I · First-person pronoun.
唔記得咗: forgot · 唔 not plus 記得 remember plus 咗 done; it has slipped his mind.
禮拜六: Saturday · 禮拜 week plus 六 six, giving Saturday.
要: have to · Need to, must.
返半日: work half a day · 返 to go in to work plus 半日 half a day.

Chi Keung

哦，咁禮拜日啦。

Oh, then Sunday.

Word meanings

哦: oh · Interjection showing you have just understood something.
咁: then · In that case; spoken gam2 when it means then.
禮拜日: Sunday · 禮拜 week plus 日 day, giving Sunday.
啦: Sentence-final particle making a relaxed suggestion.

Tsz Hin

禮拜日得。都係八點半？

Sunday works. Same time, 8:30?

Word meanings

禮拜日: Sunday · 禮拜 week plus 日 day, giving Sunday.
得: works · To be OK or possible.
都係: same · 都 also plus 係 is; here it means still the same.
八點半: 8:30 · 八 eight plus 點 o'clock plus 半 half.

Chi Keung

得，樓下等。

Sure, let's meet downstairs.

Word meanings

得: sure · To be OK or possible; a short way to say yes.
樓下: downstairs · 樓 building plus 下 below; the ground floor of their block.
等: wait · To wait; here it means meet and wait for each other.

Tsz Hin

好。我要去街市喇，你坐多陣啦。

OK. I need to go to the market, you sit a bit longer.

Word meanings

好: OK · Good; here it shows agreement.
我: I · First-person pronoun.
要: need to · Need to, must.
去: go · To go.
街市: market · A wet market with fresh food stalls.
喇: Sentence-final particle showing a change or a decision.
你: you · Second-person pronoun.
坐多陣: sit a bit longer · 坐 sit plus 多 more plus 陣 a while.
啦: Sentence-final particle softening a suggestion.

Chi Keung

好，出面太曬。禮拜日見。

OK, it's too sunny outside. See you Sunday.

Word meanings

好: OK · Good; here it shows agreement.
出面: outside · Out there; 出 means out and 面 means side.
太曬: too sunny · 太 too plus 曬 sun-scorched; the sun is too strong.
禮拜日: Sunday · 禮拜 week plus 日 day, giving Sunday.
見: see · To see; in a farewell it means see you.