Tue 28 Nov 2006
Monologue: Breakfast
Posted by 馬先生 under MP3 - Monologues
Download - 0:47min
If you are a Cantonese learner I would appreciate to know how difficult you found this.
我每朝早晨光初露嘅時候就起身.
Ngo5 mui5 ziu1 zou2 san4 gwong1 co1 lou6 ge3 si4 hau6 zau6 hei2 san1.
Every morning I wake up when the sun rises.
早餐嘅時候, 我鍾意食兩塊多士同埋飲一杯奶茶.
Zou2 caan1 ge3 si4 hau6, ngo5 zung1 ji3 sik6 loeng5 faai3 do1 si6*2 tung4 maai4 jam2 jat1 bui1 naai5 caa4.
For breakfast, I like to eat two slices of toast and drink one glass of milk tea.
方包我會先用多士爐烘三十秒.
Fong1 baau1 ngo5 wui5 sin1 jung6 do1 si6*2 lou4 hong1 saam1 sap6 miu5.
(As for the) sandwich bread, I will first use the toaster to toast it for 30 seconds.
三十秒就最啱啱好, 外邊金金黃黃, 脆卜卜.
Saam1 sap6 miu5 zau6 zeoi3 ngaam1 ngaam1 hou2, ngoi6 bin6 gam1 gam1 wong4 wong4, ceoi3 bok1 bok1.
Thirty seconds is just right; the outside is golden and crunchy.
兩塊多士我都會搽牛油.
Loeng5 faai3 do1 si6*2 ngo5 dou1 wui5 caa4 ngau4 jau4.
(As for the) two slices of toast, I will spread butter (on both).
其中一塊我會搽花生醬, 另外一塊我會搽果占.
Kei4 zung1 jat1 faai3 ngo5 wui5 caa4 faa1 sang1 zoeng3, ling6 ngoi6 jat1 faai3 ngo5 wui5 caa4 gwo2 zim1.
On one of the slices I will spread peanut butter; on the other slice I will spread jam.
飲奶茶我都好講究, 我一定要用英國早餐茶包.
Jam2 naai5 caa4 ngo4 dou1 hou2 gong2 gau3, ngo5 jat1 ding6 jiu3 jung6 jing1 gwok3 zou2 caan1 caa4 baau1.
When I drink milk tea I am very particular, I definitely will always use English breakfast teabags.
而牛奶方面我會用低脂牛奶.
Ji4 ngau4 naai5 fong1 min6 ngo5 wui5 jung6 dai1 zi1 ngau4 naai5.
As for (the subject of) milk, I will use low fat milk.
朝頭早嘅時候因為比較趕時間, 所以我只能夠用十五分鐘嚟食早餐.
Ziu1 tau4 zou2 ge3 si4 hau6 jan1 wai6 bei2 gaau3 gon2 si4 gaan3, so2 ji5 ngo5 zi2 nang4 gau3 jung6 sap6 ng5 fan1 zung1 lei4 sik6 zou2 caan1.
Because I am in quite a rush in the morning, I can only spend 15 minutes to eat breakfast.
Recorded by my wife and transcribed by Wai Ming. Thanks again.
Hong Kong
November 28th, 2006 at 11:24 am
understood a few bits of it like before around about 30 or 40% i’ll use it as study material when you put up the transcript
November 30th, 2006 at 6:54 am
“Recorded by my wife and transcribed by me. Thanks.”
No, Thank YOU.
November 30th, 2006 at 7:28 am
Hi Ricky,
Good work. You are doing well. I’ll continue to keep in touch with you via email. Meet up soon too.
Hi Ben,
I appreciate it. Though I’ll extend it to Wai Ming since without her the transcripts would take me forever to type up. Since she is very advanced and very helpful no matter what time in the day/night.
Any suggestions on a specific topic, please email me. I’ll get my wife to make some recordings.
More MP3s coming soon!
December 3rd, 2006 at 5:31 am
Thank you and your wife for the monologues. I found it difficult to understand as a beginner learning Cantonese. I am used to basic generalised phrases and i found the subject material detailed and specific. The way i tested myself was by listening to the monologue without reading the English meaning and romanisation. I will review this material when I get to an intermediate level. Cheers!
July 29th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Hi..
I followed this not too badly, except for the term for “sun rising” and the various borrowed English terms (ironically enough).
Would just like to give thanks for putting up these monologues. I’m currently a learner referring mainly to CantoDict and its forums.
You can find me over there under ming2020 as well. gaa1 jau2 !
December 12th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Dear
I tried to listen and comprehend these monologues about four months ago, but had too much difficulty because my vocabulary was too small.
Now, after a further period of study I have returned and find I can understand about 60-70% on the first few run through of Breakfast. I chose this particular monologue because it was short and seemed a bit easier.
I must say your wife’s diction helps a lot. I can distinguish every word and tone quite clearly. This is not always so with other audio material. The speed of delivery seems just right to me, not frustratingly fast and not unaturally slow.
The sentence about toasting the bread gold and crispy is so rhythmical and melodious. A good example of the sounds of Cantonese that attracted me to it in the first place.
I have just a couple of questions. CantoDict
gives fong baau as German bread. Does it also mean sandwich bread in general? And is there a simpler phrase for sunrise. I’m having trouble with the long phrase used here?
I’m going to tackle the Movies monologue next.
Thanks to you, your wife and Wai Ming for these monologues.
Regards,
Neil
January 18th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
More nitpicks …
Milk tea is not a term used outside of Hong Kong, as far as I am aware (experience in Australia, the US, and with British people). It should probably be ‘tea with (carnation) milk.’
It is understood in English that some people drink tea with milk, some without milk.
Also, the most natural way to say this:
is:
Similarly, sentences like this:
is wrong (incorrect use of will with a habitual action). It is better said as:
January 18th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Richard. The blog is not about English, and the intention of English in the dialogues is to give you a general GIST for the meaning. There is never a precise translation and you shouldn’t be concentrating on the English but more on the Chinese.
I appreciate the comments about my English, and perhaps we can blame the Australian education system for that. However, you should be concentrating on learning the Chinese and reading the “English” to get a general idea of the Chinese.
Thanks
November 17th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Hello, I am also a teacher in Hong Kong but my Cantonese is almost non-existant
Can I ask for clarification - in the monologue about Mc. Donalds the speaker mentions scrambled eggs - caau2 daan6*2. I am from Western America where we eat scrambled eggs very, very dry. However in Hong Kong the scrambled eggs are always very runny. How would I ask for very dry scrambled eggs?
Thank you for yout time - I really enjoy the monologues you publish here!
Lonni
February 15th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
A generous thanks for these monologues. I have to admit that I should be using these more often.
Im glad to know your preference to milk tea. Im glad to know that Richard likes tea with Carnation milk (lol). We are one big melting pot. Richard would do well to quickly check google for the progress of milk tea around the world. He might find some information that contradicts his assumption.