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B1 · Lesson 6

News & Current Events

新聞時事
What you will learn

Engage with current events in Cantonese. Learn to discuss news topics, understand common news vocabulary, express reactions to events, and share your views on what is happening in Hong Kong and the world.

Dialogue

Conversation

A
你睇咗今朝嘅新聞未呀？聽講政府宣佈咗新嘅環保政策。
Did you see this morning news? I heard the government announced a new environmental policy.
B
睇咗呀，據報導佢哋計劃喺五年內減少三成碳排放。
Yes I saw, according to reports they plan to reduce carbon emissions by thirty percent within five years.
A
呢個目標好有野心喎。你覺得做唔做到呀？
That target is very ambitious. Do you think it is achievable?
B
老實講，我有啲懷疑。因為之前嘅政策都冇乜成效。
To be honest, I have some doubts. Because previous policies did not have much effect.
A
不過今次好似有具體嘅行動計劃，唔係齋講。
But this time there seems to be a concrete action plan, not just talk.
B
希望係啦。另外你有冇留意到樓市嘅報導？
Hopefully. By the way, did you notice the reports on the property market?
A
有呀，據講樓價可能會跌，對首次置業嘅人嚟講係好消息。
Yes, reportedly property prices may fall, which is good news for first-time buyers.
B
都要睇下到時點樣先知，依家講仲係太早。
We still need to wait and see how it turns out, it is too early to say now.
Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

新聞
news
政府
government
宣佈
announce
政策
policy
環保
environmental protection
報導
news report
計劃
plan
成效
effectiveness / results
懷疑
doubt / suspect
樓市
property market
樓價
property prices
置業
buy property
Grammar

Language Patterns

據報導 / 據講 (according to reports / reportedly)

據報導 (geoi3 bou3 dou6) is formal and 據講 (geoi3 gong2) is casual. Both introduce information from an external source without claiming personal certainty. Essential for discussing news.
據報導失業率有所下降。
geoi3 bou3 dou6 sat1 jip6 leot2 jau5 so2 haa6 gong3.
According to reports the unemployment rate has decreased.
據講佢哋下個月會合併。
geoi3 gong2 keoi5 dei6 haa6 go3 jyut6 wui5 hap6 bing3.
Reportedly they will merge next month.

對 A 嚟講 (from the perspective of A)

對...嚟講 (deoi3...lai4 gong2) means "for / from the perspective of". It frames who is affected by or relevant to a statement.
對學生嚟講，呢個消息好重要。
deoi3 hok6 saang1 lai4 gong2, ni1 go3 siu1 sik1 hou2 zung6 jiu3.
For students, this news is very important.
對我嚟講唔係問題。
deoi3 ngo5 lai4 gong2 m4 hai6 man6 tai4.
For me it is not a problem.

老實講 (to be honest)

老實講 (lou5 sat6 gong2) is a discourse marker meaning "to be honest" or "frankly speaking". Use it to introduce a candid opinion, especially one that may be controversial.
老實講，我覺得佢做得唔好。
lou5 sat6 gong2, ngo5 gok3 dak1 keoi5 zou6 dak1 m4 hou2.
To be honest, I think he did not do well.
老實講，我唔太樂觀。
lou5 sat6 gong2, ngo5 m4 taai3 lok6 gun1.
Honestly, I am not too optimistic.

到時 ... 先知 (wait until then to know)

到時 (dou3 si4) means "when the time comes" and 先知 (sin1 zi1) means "only then will we know". Together they express the idea of waiting to see the outcome before judging.
到時睇下點先知。
dou3 si4 tai2 haa5 dim2 sin1 zi1.
We will have to wait and see.
到時做完先知得唔得。
dou3 si4 zou6 jyun4 sin1 zi1 dak1 m4 dak1.
We will only know if it works after it is done.
Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1
___ 政府計劃減少碳排放。 (according to reports)
  • 據報導
  • 老實講
  • 不過
  • 因為
Answer
據報導
Translate · Question 2
To be honest, I have some doubts about this policy.
Answer
老實講，我對呢個政策有啲懷疑。
Choice · Question 3
What does 樓市 refer to?
  • the property market
  • the stock market
  • the job market
  • the food market
Answer
the property market
Fill_blank · Question 4
對首次置業嘅人 ___ 係好消息。 (from their perspective)
  • 嚟講
  • 嚟話
  • 嚟睇
  • 嚟諗
Answer
嚟講
Translate · Question 5
We will have to wait and see how it turns out.
Answer
都要睇下到時點樣先知。

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