Making Plans — Building Blocks

What you will learn

Learn to suggest activities, arrange meetups, and confirm plans with friends. This lesson covers invitations, suggesting times and places, and politely accepting or declining.

Invite someone to do an activity
Suggest times and places for meetups
Accept or decline invitations politely
Use 不如 to make suggestions

Dialogue

Conversation

喂，你聽日有冇嘢做呀？

wai2, nei5 ting1 jat6 jau5 mou5 je5 zou6 aa3?

Hey, are you doing anything tomorrow?

冇呀，點解？有乜嘢好提議？

mou5 aa3, dim2 gaai2? jau5 mat1 je5 hou2 tai4 ji5?

No, why? Any good suggestions?

不如我哋去食日本嘢啦，我搵到間好出名嘅拉麵店。

bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 heoi3 sik6 jat6 bun2 je5 laa1, ngo5 wan2 dou2 gaan1 hou2 ceot1 meng2 ge3 laai1 min6 dim3.

How about we go eat Japanese food? I found a famous ramen shop.

好呀！喺邊度呀？

hou2 aa3! hai2 bin1 dou6 aa3?

Great! Where is it?

尖沙咀，港鐵站行五分鐘就到。

zim1 saa1 zeoi2, gong2 tit3 zaam6 haang4 ng5 fan1 zung1 zau6 dou3.

Tsim Sha Tsui, five minutes walk from the MTR station.

幾點去好呀？

gei2 dim2 heoi3 hou2 aa3?

What time should we go?

十二點半喺港鐵站出口等，得唔得？

sap6 ji6 dim2 bun3 hai2 gong2 tit3 zaam6 ceot1 hau2 dang2, dak1 m4 dak1?

Wait at the MTR exit at 12:30, is that OK?

得！不過我可能會遲少少，一點前實到。

dak1! bat1 gwo3 ngo5 ho2 nang4 wui5 ci4 siu2 siu2, jat1 dim2 cin4 sat6 dou3.

OK! But I might be a bit late, Ill definitely be there before 1.

冇問題，到時見！

mou5 man6 tai4, dou3 si4 gin3!

No problem, see you then!

到時見！我好期待呀！

dou3 si4 gin3! ngo5 hou2 kei4 doi6 aa3!

See you then! Im really looking forward to it!

Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

約

joek3

to arrange; to make plans

不如

bat1 jyu4

how about; why not

提議

tai4 ji5

suggestion; to suggest

出名

ceot1 meng2

famous; well-known

搵到

wan2 dou2

found (successfully)

期待

kei4 doi6

to look forward to

遲

ci4

late

實

sat6

definitely; for sure

冇問題

mou5 man6 tai4

no problem

到時

dou3 si4

at that time; then

出口

ceot1 hau2

exit

不過

bat1 gwo3

but; however

Grammar

Language Patterns

不如 + suggestion (making suggestions)

Use 不如 (bat1 jyu4) at the start of a sentence to suggest an activity. It is softer and more casual than a direct command.

不如我哋去睇戲啦

bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 heoi3 tai2 hei3 laa1

How about we go watch a movie

不如食完飯先去

bat1 jyu4 sik6 jyun4 faan6 sin1 heoi3

How about we eat first then go

得唔得？(asking if something is OK)

Add 得唔得 (dak1 m4 dak1) at the end to ask if a plan works for someone. Answer with 得 (yes) or 唔得 (no).

三點見面，得唔得？

saam1 dim2 gin3 min6, dak1 m4 dak1?

Meet at 3, is that OK?

我坐你隔離，得唔得？

ngo5 co5 nei5 gaak3 lei4, dak1 m4 dak1?

Can I sit next to you, is that OK?

Verb + 到 (successful completion)

Add 到 (dou2) after a verb to show that the action was completed successfully. Without 到, the result is uncertain.

我買到飛喇

ngo5 maai5 dou2 fei1 laa3

I managed to buy the tickets

你搵到嗰間舖頭未？

nei5 wan2 dou2 go2 gaan1 pou3 tau2 mei6?

Have you found that shop yet?

可能會 + Verb (expressing possibility)

Use 可能會 (ho2 nang4 wui5) before a verb to express that something might happen. 可能 alone also works but 會 adds future tense.

我可能會遲到

ngo5 ho2 nang4 wui5 ci4 dou3

I might be late

聽日可能會落雨

ting1 jat6 ho2 nang4 wui5 lok6 jyu5

It might rain tomorrow

Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1

___我哋去飲茶啦！(how about)

Answer

不如

Translate · Question 2

Translate: Are you free tomorrow?

Answer

你聽日得唔得閒？

Fill_blank · Question 3

我可能___遲少少。(will)

Answer

會

Translate · Question 4

Translate: I found that restaurant.

Answer

我搵到嗰間餐廳。

Choice · Question 5

How do you say "no problem" in Cantonese?

冇問題
唔好意思
多謝
唔緊要

Answer

冇問題

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