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A2 · Lesson 4

At the Market

街市
What you will learn

Learn to navigate a Hong Kong wet market. This lesson covers buying fresh produce, asking about prices and freshness, specifying quantities, and basic bargaining — essential skills for daily life in HK.

Dialogue

Conversation

A
老闆，呢啲菜心幾多錢一斤呀？
Boss, how much is the choi sum per catty?
B
十二蚊一斤，今朝早新鮮到㗎。
Twelve dollars per catty, arrived fresh this morning.
A
可唔可以平啲呀？我買兩斤。
Can you make it cheaper? Ill buy two catties.
B
兩斤嘅話，廿蚊啦，算你平啲。
For two catties, twenty dollars, Ill give you a discount.
A
好，唔該。仲有，嗰啲蝦新唔新鮮呀？
OK, thanks. Also, are those prawns fresh?
B
新鮮到不得了！你睇吓，仲跳緊㗎。
Extremely fresh! Look, theyre still jumping.
A
幾多錢一磅呀？
How much per pound?
B
六十蚊一磅。要幾多？
Sixty dollars per pound. How much do you want?
A
要一磅啦。幫我揀大隻啲嘅。
One pound please. Help me pick the bigger ones.
B
冇問題！仲要唔要其他嘢？
No problem! Do you need anything else?
Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

街市
wet market
新鮮
fresh
斤
catty (unit of weight, ~600g)
磅
pound (unit of weight)
菜心
choi sum (vegetable)
蝦
prawn; shrimp
揀
to pick; to choose
平啲
a bit cheaper
算你
give you (a deal)
老闆
boss (form of address)
仲有
also; in addition
其他
other; else
Grammar

Language Patterns

幾多錢 + measure word (asking prices)

Use 幾多錢 (gei2 do1 cin2) to ask how much something costs. Follow with a measure word and 呀 for a natural tone.
呢個幾多錢呀？
ni1 go3 gei2 do1 cin2 aa3?
How much is this?
西瓜幾多錢一個？
sai1 gwaa1 gei2 do1 cin2 jat1 go3?
How much is a watermelon?

可唔可以 + Verb (polite requests)

Use 可唔可以 (ho2 m4 ho2 ji5) to make a polite request or ask for permission. More formal than just asking directly.
可唔可以試吓？
ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 si3 haa5?
Can I try it?
可唔可以用八達通俾錢？
ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 jung6 baat3 daat6 tung1 bei2 cin2?
Can I pay with Octopus?

Adj + 到不得了 (extremely)

Add 到不得了 (dou3 bat1 dak1 liu5) after an adjective to intensify it, meaning extremely or incredibly.
今日熱到不得了
gam1 jat6 jit6 dou3 bat1 dak1 liu5
Its extremely hot today
嗰個蛋糕甜到不得了
go2 go3 daan6 gou1 tim4 dou3 bat1 dak1 liu5
That cake is incredibly sweet

嘅話 (if / in the case of)

Use 嘅話 (ge3 waa2) after a condition to mean if or in the case of. It sets up a conditional clause naturally.
買三個嘅話，平啲俾你
maai5 saam1 go3 ge3 waa2, peng4 di1 bei2 nei5
If you buy three, Ill give you a discount
落雨嘅話，我哋唔去
lok6 jyu5 ge3 waa2, ngo5 dei6 m4 heoi3
If it rains, we wont go
Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1
呢啲蘋果___錢一個？(how much)
Answer
幾多
Translate · Question 2
Translate: Can you make it a bit cheaper?
Answer
可唔可以平啲呀？
Fill_blank · Question 3
今日嘅魚新鮮___不得了！(extremely)
Answer
到
Translate · Question 4
Translate: If you buy two, Ill give you a discount.
Answer
買兩個嘅話，算你平啲。
Choice · Question 5
What does 街市 mean?
  • wet market
  • supermarket
  • shopping mall
  • convenience store
Answer
wet market

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