Latest / Learn Cantonese with Fexingo / Cantonese Kitchen: Cutting Board Basics
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to another episode of Learn Cantonese with Fexingo. Luna: Hey everyone. I am so ready for today because we are finally going to cook something proper. Lucas: I know. Last week was all about hair salons and styling, which was fun, but now we need some food. Luna: Exactly. And since we just talked about knives and woks in previous episodes, it makes sense to talk about what we actually put the food on. Lucas: Right. The foundation of any good chop is the surface you use. Luna: So, what do we call a cutting board in Cantonese? Lucas: It is a very specific word. Listen closely. Lucas: 砧板. Luna: 砧板. Lucas: Good. It literally means 'chopping board'. The first character relates to the action of striking or chopping, and the second is board. Luna: 砧板. Okay, that sounds solid. Lucas: Let's say it again. Slowly. Lucas: 砧板. Luna: 砧板. Lucas: Perfect. Now, imagine you are in a kitchen and you need this item. Luna: How do I ask for it? Or where can I find one? Lucas: You can ask where to buy it. This is a useful phrase if you are at a market or a hardware store. Lucas: 邊度有賣砧板. Luna: 邊度有賣砧板. Lucas: Yes. 'Where is there selling cutting boards?' Luna: 邊度有賣砧板. That flows really well. Lucas: It does. And often, people will specify the material when they ask. Lucas: 木頭嘅. Luna: 木頭嘅. Lucas: 'Wooden ones.' Wood is very traditional for cutting boards in Cantonese kitchens. Luna: 木頭嘅. So I could combine them? Like, 'Where can I buy wooden cutting boards?' Lucas: Exactly. You can just add it to the end. But let's focus on the board itself for now. Luna: Got it. So, once I have my 砧板, what do I do on it? Lucas: The main action is chopping vegetables. Lucas: 切菜. Luna: 切菜. Lucas: 'Cut vegetables.' Simple and direct. Luna: 切菜. I feel like I've seen this in cooking videos before. Lucas: You probably have. It is the most common prep step. Luna: 切菜. Let's try it again. Lucas: 切菜. Luna: 切菜. Lucas: Good. Now, safety is important here. Luna: Oh right. Knives are sharp. Lucas: Very much so. If someone is struggling, or if you want to warn a friend, you say this. Lucas: 唔好切到手. Luna: 唔好切到手. Lucas: 'Don't cut your hand.' Luna: 唔好切到手. Wow, that sounds urgent. Lucas: It is a caring warning. Use it wisely. Luna: 唔好切到手. I will keep that in mind while I practice chopping. Lucas: Before we continue with our kitchen lesson, I want to take a brief moment to talk about the show. Luna: Yeah, please do. Lucas: If Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with Cantonese, listener support is what keeps these episodes ad-free and consistent. Luna: It really does make a difference to have the resources to produce high-quality audio every week. Lucas: A small monthly contribution helps us continue. You can visit buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo to support the work directly. Luna: Thanks for checking that out if you're able to. It helps us keep bringing you these focused lessons. Lucas: Anyway, back to the kitchen. Let's review what we have learned so far. Luna: Okay, let's go through the list. Lucas: First, the cutting board. Luna: 砧板. Lucas: Second, asking where to buy one. Luna: 邊度有賣砧板. Lucas: Third, specifying wood. Luna: 木頭嘅. Lucas: Fourth, the action of chopping veggies. Luna: 切菜. Lucas: And fifth, the safety warning. Luna: 唔好切到手. Lucas: Excellent. You are getting the hang of this kitchen vocab. Luna: I feel like I'm already hungry. Can we order some food now? Lucas: Not yet. We still have more phrases to drill. Luna: Oh no. More drilling? Lucas: Just a few more repetitions to lock them in. Luna: Fine. Let's do 砧板 again. Lucas: 砧板. Luna: 砧板. Lucas: Now, imagine you are at a wet market looking for supplies. Luna: Okay, scenario mode. Lucas: You see a vendor selling boards. You ask: 邊度有賣砧板? Luna: 邊度有賣砧板? Lucas: He points to a stack. You ask if they are wooden. Luna: 木頭嘅? Lucas: He nods yes. You take it home and start prepping dinner. Luna: I pick up the knife. I start to 切菜. Lucas: Careful now. Remember to say: 唔好切到手. Luna: 唔好切到手. Phew. That was close. Lucas: Good reflexes. Let's say 切菜 one more time slowly. Luna: 切菜. Lucas: And 砧板. Luna: 砧板. Lucas: These words are now part of your kitchen toolkit. Luna: I think I'm ready to actually cook tonight. Lucas: Maybe start with simple things. Don't rush the chopping. Luna: True. Safety first. 唔好切到手. Lucas: Exactly. Well done today. Luna: Thanks Lucas. See you next time. Lucas: Bye for now.