Course outline
4 sections, 40 units, from first greetings to everyday conversations (roughly CEFR A1–A2). Only Section 1 is written in full so far; Sections 2–4 are planned and will follow in batches. Chinese terms in the grammar column are hints for the translator, not final content.
S1 First steps
| # | Unit | Goal | Vocabulary themes | Grammar / particles | Dialogue scenario | Translated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hello & introductions | Greet people, give your name and nationality, say thanks and sorry | Greetings, pronouns, names, titles, nationalities | Verb "to be", X-not-X questions, two words for "thank you", question particle 呀 | First evening class; bumping into a friend | |
| 2 | Numbers, ages & phone numbers | Count, give your age and phone number, say how many | Numbers to 10,000, age, floors, phone numbers | Two words for "two", measure word 個, counting in ten-thousands | Swapping numbers; restaurant queue | |
| 3 | Family | Talk about family members and siblings | Immediate family, grandparents, children, pets | Possessive 嘅 (and dropping it), have / not have (有 / 冇) | Family photos; playground chat | |
| 4 | Time, days & dates | Tell the time, name days and dates, arrange when to meet | Clock time, days of the week, months, today/tomorrow | Time words before the verb, clock-face minutes, big-to-small dates | Planning a film; running late | |
| 5 | Breakfast at the cha chaan teng | Order food and drinks, make requests, ask for the bill | Café drinks and dishes, cutlery, takeaway | 唔該 as "please", 要 + item, cup/portion measure words | Ordering breakfast; fighting over the bill | |
| 6 | Yum cha & tastes | Order dim sum, pour tea politely, describe tastes | Dim sum dishes, tea, tastes, hungry/full | Adjectives as verbs, degree words 好 / 太 / 有啲, 再 for "more" | Ordering dim sum; grandma insists you eat more | |
| 7 | Shopping & money | Ask prices, try on, bargain, pay | Money, clothes, sizes, colours, payment | 幾多錢, this/that + measure word, 平啲 comparisons, softening 啦 | Market bargaining; trying on clothes | |
| 8 | Getting around: MTR, bus & taxi | Ask for and follow directions, use transport | Transport, directions, places, exits | 喺 for location, direction suffix 邊, 搭 + transport, 有落 | Asking the way; taking a taxi | |
| 9 | Daily routine & home | Describe your day and your home | Daily actions, rooms, chores, frequency | Frequency adverbs, built-in object verbs (瞓覺, 沖涼), sequencing with 跟住 | Colleagues compare routines; visiting a friend's flat | |
| 10 | Likes, dislikes & free time | Talk about hobbies and suggest doing things together | Hobbies, sport, films, music | 鍾意 + verb, 最, 都 for "also", emotional particles 㗎 / 喎, suggestions with 一齊 ... 啦 | Finding a common hobby; choosing a film |
S2 Everyday life
| # | Unit | Goal | Vocabulary themes | Grammar / particles | Dialogue scenario | Translated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Weather & seasons | Talk about the weather, typhoons and what to wear | Weather, temperature, seasons, typhoon signals | Change-of-state particle 喇, "it's going to" with 會 | Typhoon signal 8 is up; packing for a hike | Not written yet |
| 12 | Plans & invitations | Invite, accept, decline and reschedule | Activities, times, excuses | Future with 會 / 打算, suggestions with 不如, polite declining | Inviting a colleague to dinner | Not written yet |
| 13 | Feeling unwell | Describe symptoms and see a doctor | Body parts, symptoms, medicine | 有啲 + adjective, 唔舒服, duration with 咗 ... 幾日 | At a clinic; calling in sick | Not written yet |
| 14 | What did you do? | Talk about past events and the weekend | Weekend activities, time expressions | Completed action 咗, 未 for "not yet", 已經 | Monday morning catch-up | Not written yet |
| 15 | Neighbours & the building | Deal with the building, neighbours and repairs | Building staff, utilities, repairs | Requests with 可唔可以, 幫 + person + verb | Asking the caretaker for help | Not written yet |
| 16 | Work & jobs | Say what you do, describe your workplace | Jobs, offices, colleagues, hours | 做 + job, 喺 + place + 做嘢, 啱啱 for "just" | Meeting a new colleague | Not written yet |
| 17 | Phone, messages & apps | Make calls, leave messages, use common apps | Phone calls, messaging, voice notes | Telephone phrases, 打俾 / send 俾, final particle 吖 | Calling a restaurant to book | Not written yet |
| 18 | Describing people & clothes | Describe appearance, clothing and personality | Appearance, clothes, personality traits | 着 for wearing, 好似 for "seems like", 嘅 descriptions | Finding a friend in a crowd | Not written yet |
| 19 | Festivals & celebrations | Greet people at festivals and talk about customs | Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn, birthdays, red packets | Set greetings (恭喜發財 etc.), 每年都 | Visiting relatives at New Year | Not written yet |
| 20 | Review: a week in Hong Kong | Combine Units 11–19 in a longer story | Recycled vocabulary | Linking with 然後 / 不過 / 所以 | A visitor's week told in short scenes | Not written yet |
S3 Out & about
| # | Unit | Goal | Vocabulary themes | Grammar / particles | Dialogue scenario | Translated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Travel & holidays | Plan a trip, book hotels, talk about travel | Trips, hotels, airports, luggage | 想 / 打算 + verb, 去 + place + verb order | Checking in at a hotel | Not written yet |
| 22 | Dinner with friends | Order at a Chinese restaurant, share dishes, toast | Dishes, cooking styles, sharing, toasting | 試吓 for "have a try", 夠唔夠, 飲勝 | Ordering for a group | Not written yet |
| 23 | Have you ever...? | Talk about experiences | Experiences, places, foods | Experiential 過, 從來未, 幾多次 | Swapping travel stories | Not written yet |
| 24 | Comparing things | Compare prices, places and options | Comparisons, preferences | 過 for comparison (X 平過 Y), 冇咁, 最 | Choosing between two flats | Not written yet |
| 25 | Problems & complaints | Complain politely and solve problems | Faults, refunds, delays | 點解, 唔好意思 + request, 啱 / 唔啱 | Returning a faulty item | Not written yet |
| 26 | School & studying | Talk about classes, homework and exams | Subjects, exams, classroom language | 要 for "need to", 識 vs 會 for "can" | Parents' evening chat | Not written yet |
| 27 | Sport & fitness | Talk about exercise and watching sport | Sports, gym, scores | Ongoing action 緊, 開始 | At the gym; watching a match | Not written yet |
| 28 | Hong Kong outdoors | Hiking, islands, beaches and getting there | Nature, trails, beaches, ferries | Directional complements (上去 / 落嚟), 行到 | Hiking the Dragon's Back | Not written yet |
| 29 | Feelings & opinions | Share feelings and give opinions | Emotions, opinions, agreement | 覺得, 我諗, intensifiers 好 / 超 / 勁 | Talking about a film | Not written yet |
| 30 | Review: a weekend away | Combine Units 21–29 in a longer story | Recycled vocabulary | Narrating with 首先 / 跟住 / 最後 | A weekend trip to Cheung Chau | Not written yet |
S4 Getting things done
| # | Unit | Goal | Vocabulary themes | Grammar / particles | Dialogue scenario | Translated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Plans for the future | Talk about goals and intentions | Goals, careers, moving, study | 將來, 打算, 希望, conditions with 如果 ... 就 | New Year resolutions | Not written yet |
| 32 | Bank, post & services | Handle banks, post offices and appointments | Accounts, forms, parcels, appointments | Formal polite requests, 麻煩你 | Opening a bank account | Not written yet |
| 33 | Renting & moving | Find, view and rent a flat | Rent, deposits, agents, furniture | Questions about conditions, 包唔包 | Viewing a flat with an agent | Not written yet |
| 34 | Emergencies & help | Ask for help, report a problem, stay safe | Emergencies, police, lost items | Urgent requests, 唔見咗 for "lost" | Reporting a lost phone | Not written yet |
| 35 | At the office | Meetings, emails and polite workplace talk | Meetings, deadlines, tasks | Softened requests 可唔可以 ... 呀, 應該 | A team meeting | Not written yet |
| 36 | Tech & social media | Talk about phones, apps and social media | Apps, posts, photos, problems | 用 + tool + verb, resultative verbs (整壞咗) | Fixing a friend's phone | Not written yet |
| 37 | Cooking at home | Follow and give a simple recipe | Ingredients, cooking verbs, kitchen | Sequencing, 先 ... 再, measure words for food | Cooking with grandma | Not written yet |
| 38 | Telling a story | Tell a short story about something that happened | Events, reactions, time links | 咗 / 過 / 緊 together, 突然, 原來 | What happened on the way home | Not written yet |
| 39 | Hong Kong customs | Understand everyday customs and taboos | Gifts, numbers, festivals, manners | Advice with 最好 / 唔好, 因為 ... 所以 | Bringing a gift to a family dinner | Not written yet |
| 40 | Capstone: a day in Hong Kong | Use everything in one extended day-long story | All earlier themes | Free conversation, all particles | A full day: breakfast, MTR, work, dinner, karaoke | Not written yet |