A number of Cantonese questions
Dear friends,
The following are a few questions from my Cantonese lesson today… If you have any spare time, it would really help me if you could answer them...

Thanks a lot in advance!

1.
執好啲杯擠櫃處
a. how should I interpret this construction grammatically? What is throwing me off is the “櫃處“
b. could I say 櫃度 instead?
c. could I say 櫃便 instead?

2.
saai1
“to waste”
what is the Chinese character for this word?

3.
放
擠
to put
Is there any difference between these two verbs?

4.
檯
what is the correct tone for this word toi2 (high rising) or toi4 (low falling)? My text-book uses it inconsistently (or so it seems)…

5.
speaking about a letter:
喺廣州嚟嘅
“it’s FROM　Canton”
The grammar here makes no sense to me: “In Canton which it has come”. Where is the “from”? Shouldn’t there be a 從 here, instead of a 喺?

6.
A conversation between a lady and her maid:
－阿英！拎呢件衫去洗。洗好就要烫。
－我唔得闲。我要扫地，抹家俬先。
－恁，抹好啲家俬之后，就要洗衫。

What does the恁 mean here?

Thanks!

Question

A number of Cantonese questions
Dear friends,
The following are a few questions from my Cantonese lesson today… If you have any spare time, it would really help me if you could answer them...

Thanks a lot in advance!

1.
執好啲杯擠櫃處
a. how should I interpret this construction grammatically? What is throwing me off is the “櫃處“
b. could I say 櫃度 instead?
c. could I say 櫃便 instead?

2.
saai1
“to waste”
what is the Chinese character for this word?

3.
放
擠
to put
Is there any difference between these two verbs?

4.
檯
what is the correct tone for this word toi2 (high rising) or toi4 (low falling)? My text-book uses it inconsistently (or so it seems)…

5.
speaking about a letter:
喺廣州嚟嘅
“it’s FROM　Canton”
The grammar here makes no sense to me: “In Canton which it has come”. Where is the “from”? Shouldn’t there be a 從 here, instead of a 喺?

6.
A conversation between a lady and her maid:
－阿英！拎呢件衫去洗。洗好就要烫。
－我唔得闲。我要扫地，抹家俬先。
－恁，抹好啲家俬之后，就要洗衫。

What does the恁 mean here?

Thanks!

Answer

I'm a heritage speaker of Cantonese so I know what "sounds right" but not really able to explain the answers. Hope it still helps!

1.
執好啲杯擠櫃處
a. how should I interpret this construction grammatically? What is throwing me off is the “櫃處“
b. could I say 櫃度 instead?
c. could I say 櫃便 instead?

執好啲杯擠櫃度 sounds better

2.
saai1 
“to waste”
what is the Chinese character for this word?

嘥

3.
放
擠
to put
Is there any difference between these two verbs?

No difference - at least not in any case I can think of

4.
檯
what is the correct tone for this word toi2 (high rising) or toi4 (low falling)? My text-book uses it inconsistently (or so it seems)…

Sorry not familiar with the tone system perhaps this can help? http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/901/#jyutpinginfo

5.
speaking about a letter:
喺廣州嚟嘅
“it’s FROM　Canton”
The grammar here makes no sense to me: “In Canton which it has come”. Where is the “from”? Shouldn’t there be a 從 here, instead of a 喺?

喺 is more and informal oral whereas 從 is more formal (used in written form)

6.
A conversation between a lady and her maid:
－阿英！拎呢件衫去洗。洗好就要烫。
－我唔得闲。我要扫地，抹家俬先。
－恁，抹好啲家俬之后，就要洗衫。

What does the恁 mean here?

Not sure - do you mean 噉 (in that case?)

Answer

1（b) is correct 
2 嘥
3 if you refer 擠 and 放 to mean "put" something in somewhere,  擠 is definitely informal, we won't use 擠 in written Chinese. But we use 放 in both formal and informal ways 
4. I think it depends on what other character 檯 is linked to.  For the time being, what I can think of is 講檯，so it should be toi4
5. 從is  formal 喺is informal 
6. I have never heard of 恁 in Hong Kong. It may be used in some other Cantonese speaking places. I tried to search its meaning online. I think it's similar to "alright"  and it functions like a linker

Answer

Your questions are very very interesting. I'm a native Cantonese speaker but I don't know so many about the grammars. We just say it. So, let me try to help you a little.
1. I think 櫃處 is equal 櫃度
3. I think 放 and 擠 are the same. 
4. 檯 toi2
5. 喺廣州嚟嘅, 喺 is from, 嚟 is come. So, it's clearly "It comes from Guangzhou."
6. 恁 means fine.

Answer

1. Both  “櫃處“ and "櫃度" have the same meaning but  “櫃處“ sounds old-fashioned. In the example, they just refer to the cupboard. You can interpret it as "the place which is known as a cupboard" but, in fact, no special translation is needed in English. On the other hand, "便" has the connotation of a direction or a side. So "邊便?" means "Which side?" or "Which way?" Unlike "櫃度", you can't say "櫃便". You have to say "櫃嗰便" instead, which means "over there, where the cupboard stands". In that case, it's possible that the cups are not placed inside the cupboard. The following is a typical example of this usage: "個茶几要放梳化嗰便"(The coffee table should be placed over there, with the sofa).

4. 檯 is pronounced toi2 when it means a table, or a desk (書檯).

5. 喺 in 喺廣州嚟嘅 means "from", but this usage sounds old-fashioned to me. I prefer 由廣州嚟嘅. 從 is used in written form, i.e. 從廣州來的.

6. 噉 means "in that case".

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