Latest / Learn Cantonese with Fexingo / Cantonese Kitchen Items & Cooking Basics
Transcript
- Lucas: Hi everyone, and welcome back to another small, digestible episode of Learn Cantonese with Fexingo. I am Lucas. Luna: And I am Luna. It is so good to be here again. We have been doing so many places lately, haven't we? Lucas: We have. We did the night market, the cinema, the beach, the hair salon. But today, we are staying indoors. Luna: Inside? Where exactly? My stomach is growling, so hopefully it is somewhere with food. Lucas: It is the kitchen. Specifically, the tools we use to cook. In Cantonese, there are some very specific words for kitchen items. Luna: I love learning kitchen words. It feels practical. Like, if I go to someone's house, I can help out. Lucas: Exactly. And since we just talked about buying clothes and getting haircuts, this is a nice change of pace. No waiting around, just making something. Luna: Right. So, what is the first word we need to know? The most important tool? Lucas: The knife. In Cantonese, we say dao. Just one syllable. Let me say that slowly for you. Dao. Luna: Dao. Okay. It sounds sharp. Very direct. Lucas: It is. Now, try it. Say dao. Luna: Dao. Like the English word do, but shorter. Is that right? Lucas: Perfect. You nailed it. Dao. That is the word for knife. Keep it in your head. Luna: Dao. Got it. So, if I want to ask for a knife, I just say dao? Lucas: You could. But usually, you might say 'give me the knife' or 'where is the knife'. But for now, let's just stick to the word itself. Dao. Say it one more time with me. Luna: Dao. Dao. Okay, I feel like I can chop vegetables already. Lucas: You definitely can. Now, next item. This one is iconic in Cantonese cooking. The wok. Or specifically, the flat-bottomed pan used for stir-frying. Luna: Oh, I know this one. Is it also a short word? Lucas: It is two syllables. Wo. In Cantonese script, it is written as 鑊. Let me break it down for you. Wo. Luna: Wo. Like wow, but without the w sound at the end. Just wo. Lucas: Exactly. Try it. Wo. Luna: Wo. Okay. Wo. That sounds heavy. Like a heavy metal pot. Lucas: It is heavy! Cast iron sometimes. Wo. Repeat after me. Wo. Luna: Wo. Wo. I love how these words feel in my mouth. Wo. Dao. They are so crisp. Lucas: They are. So, dao for knife, wo for pan. Now, let's move to the verbs. Actions. What do we do with the knife and the pan? Luna: We cook! How do you say cook in Cantonese? Lucas: The general word for cook or boil is zyu. As in zyu fan, which means to cook rice. Let me say that. Zyu. Luna: Zyu. Hmm. It has a bit of a buzz to it. Like a bee. Lucas: Yes. Zyu. Try it. Zyu. Luna: Zyu. Zyu. Okay. Zyu. That was easy. Lucas: Good job. Zyu. Now, this is a special one for Cantonese cuisine. Stir-frying. There is a specific verb for frying in a wok with oil. Luna: Ooh. I remember hearing this before. Is it chao? Lucas: Close, but in Cantonese, it is pronounced chao. Wait, no, let me correct that. It is chao. Actually, it is chao. Let me say it clearly. Chao. Luna: Chao. Okay. Chao. Like chaos, but softer. Lucas: Exactly. Chao. This is the sound of the spatula hitting the hot wok. Chao. Repeat it. Chao. Luna: Chao. Chao. I can hear the sizzle now. Chao. Dao. Wo. Zyu. Chao. This is a great little set of words. Lucas: It is. And they work together beautifully. If I say 'chao zyu', it implies stir-frying something that is being cooked. But let's add one final phrase. A very common situation in the kitchen. Luna: What is it? Did I burn the toast? Lucas: No, don't worry. It is when the water boils. In Cantonese, we say shui gung zo la. Literally, water boiled already. Let me say that whole phrase slowly. Shui gung zo la. Luna: Shui gung zo la. Oh, I get it. Shui is water, right? Lucas: Yes. Gung means roll or boil. Zo means already. La is a particle indicating a change of state. So, 'the water has boiled'. Try it. Shui gung zo la. Luna: Shui gung zo la. That flows really well. Shui gung zo la. It sounds urgent. Like, hurry up and put the noodles in! Lucas: Exactly. It is often shouted across the house. Shui gung zo la! Dinner is almost ready. Let's review all five words we learned today. Ready? Luna: Ready. Let's go. Lucas: Knife. Say it. Luna: Dao. Lucas: Pan. Say it. Luna: Wo. Lucas: Cook. Say it. Luna: Zyu. Lucas: Stir-fry. Say it. Luna: Chao. Lucas: Water boiled. Say it. Luna: Shui gung zo la. Lucas: Perfect. You got them all. These are small steps, but they build up quickly. Imagine walking into a Cantonese kitchen and saying, 'Where is the dao?' or 'Is the shui gung zo la yet?' Luna: I would feel like such a pro. Even if I just burned the water. Lucas: That happens to the best of us. But at least you would know how to describe the disaster. Well, that is our tiny lesson for today. We will see you next time. Luna: Bye everyone. Practice your dao and wo. See you soon. Lucas: Before we go, I want to mention something quick. If Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language, the way these stay ad-free is listener support. Buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah. It really helps keep the episodes coming. And it keeps the voices clear. Thank you. Lucas: Thanks for listening. Go cook something delicious. Or just boil some water. That counts too.