Food and Eating in Hakka
Basic Conversation About Food§
Asking If Someone Has Eaten§
Q: Nyi sit pau mang? (Have you eaten?)
A: Ngai sit pau. (I've already eaten)
OR
Ngai mang sit. (I haven't eaten yet)Asking What Someone Ate§
Q: Sit ma'ai? (What did you eat?)
A: Ngai sit fan pong kai nyuk kak choi
(I ate rice with chicken and vegetables)
OR
Ngai sit pastas kak nyiu nyuk
(I ate pasta with beef)Asking If Food Is Good§
Q: Boi ho sit mo? (Is it good?)
A: An ho sit. (Very good)Hunger and Cravings§
Expressing Hunger§
Q: Nyi boi tuki mo? (Are you hungry?)
A: He wa ngai an tuki. (Yes, I'm very hungry)Offering to Buy Food§
Q: Nyi oi sit ma'ai, ngai boi mai pun nyi?
(What do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you)
A: Ngai an siong sit bakso kak cian kai nyuk
(I feel like eating bakso and fried chicken)Response§
Ho, ngai boi mai pun nyi
(Okay, I'll buy it for you)Cooking Conversation§
Q: Nyi mek ma'ai? (What are you doing?)
A: Ngai cu choi (I'm cooking)
Q: Cu ma'ai choi? (What are you cooking?)
A: Cu fan kak cian kai nyuk (Cooking rice with fried chicken)
Response: Oh khiang sit lah (Oh, sounds good / the food is good)Common Foods§
Staple Foods§
- Fan = rice
- Pastas = pasta
- Bakso = meatball soup
- Nasi Goreng = fried rice
Meats§
- Kai nyuk = chicken (meat)
- Nyiu nyuk = beef
- Cian kai nyuk = fried chicken
Other§
- Choi = vegetables
- Kopi = coffee
Taste and Flavor Words§
| English | Hakka |
|---|---|
| Delicious | ho sit |
| Very good | an ho sit |
| Sweet | thiam |
| Bitter | fu |
| Sour | son |
| Salty | ham |
| Tasteless | tham |
| Fishy | siang |
| Fragrant | hiong |
| Hot/spicy | sau |
Expressing Strong Flavors§
- An-fu = very bitter
- An-tjhiu = very smelly
- Tjhiu-son = sour smell
Key Verbs and Expressions§
| English | Hakka |
|---|---|
| Eat | sit |
| Cook | cu choi |
| Buy | mai |
| Already eaten | sit pau |
| Haven’t eaten yet | mang sit |
| Want to eat | oi sit |
| Feel like eating | siong sit |
| Like to eat | nyen sit |
| Hungry | tuki |
| Very hungry | an tuki |
| Buy for you | mai pun nyi |
| Sounds good (food) | khiang sit |
| I’ll buy it for you | ngai boi mai pun nyi |
Useful Phrases§
- Sit ho kopi mang? = Have you had coffee?
- An nyen sit… = I really like eating…
- Nyi oi sit ma’ai? = What do you want to eat?
- Kak = with (used to connect foods)
Example Sentences§
-
Ngai an nyen sit Nasi Goreng Abu. Nasi Goreng Abu an ho sit.
- I like to eat Nasi Goreng Abu. Nasi Goreng Abu is very good.
-
Ngai sit fan pong kai nyuk kak choi
- I ate rice with chicken and vegetables
-
Ngai an siong sit bakso
- I really want to eat bakso
—The Gardener