Cantonese is an analytic language in which the arrangement of words in a sentence is important to its meaning.
A basic sentence is in the form of SVO, i.e. a subject is followed by a verb then by an object, though this order is often violated because Cantonese is a topic-prominent language.
Unlike synthetic languages, seldom do words indicate time, gender and number by inflection.
Instead, these concepts are expressed through adverbs, aspect markers, and particles, or are deduced from the context.
Additionally, an optional aspect particle can be appended to a verb to indicate the state of an event.
In contrast to many European languages, Cantonese verbs are marked for aspect rather than tense—that is, whether an event has begun, is ongoing, or has been completed.
In addition, verbal complements may convey aspectual distinctions, indicating whether an event is just beginning, is continuing, or at completion, and also the effect of the verb on its object(s).
咗zo2咗zo2我ngo5I喺hai2at/in香港hoeng1 gong2Hong Kong住咗zyu6 zo2live-PFV一jat1one年nin4year我 喺 香港 住咗 一 年ngo5 hai2 {hoeng1 gong2} {zyu6 zo2} jat1 nin4I at/in {Hong Kong} live-PFV one yearI have been living in Hong Kong for a year (and still live here)過gwo3過gwo3我ngo5I喺hai2at/in香港hoeng1 gong2Hong Kong住過zyu6gwo3live-EXP一jat1one年nin4year我 喺 香港 住過 一 年ngo5 hai2 {hoeng1 gong2} {zyu6gwo3} jat1 nin4I at/in {Hong Kong} live-EXP one yearI lived in Hong Kong for a year (but am now elsewhere)緊gan2緊gan2我ngo5I著緊zoek3 gan2wear-PROG衫saam1clothes我 著緊 衫ngo5 {zoek3 gan2} saam1I wear-PROG clothesI am putting on clothes住zyu6住zyu6我ngo5I著住zoek3 zyu6wear-DUR衫saam1clothes我 著住 衫ngo5 {zoek3 zyu6} saam1I wear-DUR clothesI am wearing clothes吓haa5吓haa5等dang2Let我ngo5me著吓zoek3 haa5wear-DEL等 我 著吓dang2 ngo5 {zoek3 haa5}Let me wear-DELLet me wear it for a while開hoi1開hoi1我ngo5I做開zou6 hoi1do-HAB鐘點zung1 dim2part-time嘅ge3SFP我 做開 鐘點 嘅ngo5 {zou6 hoi1} {zung1 dim2} ge3I do-HAB part-time SFPI normally work part-time起hei2上soeng5嚟lai4起 上 嚟hei2 soeng5 lai4個go3CL阿咇aa3 bit6baby突然之間dat6 jin4 zi1 gaan1suddenly喊起上嚟haam3 hei2 soeng5 lai4cry-INCH個 阿咇 突然之間 喊起上嚟go3 {aa3 bit6} {dat6 jin4 zi1 gaan1} {haam3 hei2 soeng5 lai4}CL baby suddenly cry-INCHThe baby suddenly began crying落去落 去lok6 heoi3你nei5you唔m4NEG使si2/sai2need再zoi3again講落去gong2 lok6 heoi3speak-CONT喇laa3SFP你 唔 使 再 講落去 喇nei5 m4 si2/sai2 zoi3 {gong2 lok6 heoi3} laa3you NEG need again speak-CONT SFPYou don't have to go on speaking返返faan2Meanings can include: "continue a paused action" or "return to" (Example 1) Note: When added to an adjective, it can also function as a verb of "becoming (adjective) again".
(Example 2) 畀bei2Give返faan1back啲di1those錢cin2money我ngo5me畀 返 啲 錢 我bei2 faan1 di1 cin2 ngo5Give back those money meGive me the money back個go3the天tin1sky未mei6not yet好hou2good返faan1back個 天 未 好 返go3 tin1 mei6 hou2 faan1the sky {not yet} good backThe weather is not yet wellCantonese has many final particles to change the moods or sometimes even the meaning of an utterance.
佢keoi5係hai6完jyun4全cyun4唔m4識sik1講gong2廣Gwong2東dung1話waa6*2嘅。ge佢 係 完 全 唔 識 講 廣 東 話 嘅。keoi5 hai6 jyun4 cyun4 m4 sik1 gong2 Gwong2 dung1 waa6*2 ge"(It is the case that) s/he doesn't know Cantonese at all.
"To indicate location, the words 喺 hai2 (a "lazy" variation is 响 hoeng2) which are collectively known as the locatives or sometimes coverbs in Chinese linguistics, are used to express "to be at": 我ngo5而ji4家gaa1喺hai2圖tou4書syu1館。gun2我 而 家 喺 圖 書 館。ngo5 ji4 gaa1 hai2 tou4 syu1 gun2I am at the library nowMany negation words start with the sound m- in Cantonese; for example, 唔 m4 "not", 冇 mou5 "to not have (done sth)", 未 mei6 "not yet".
Evidence for this is that they can be used with the perfective aspect particle 咗 zo2, which is not possible with sententially negated verbs.
{"pretty good; not bad"} / "right"我ngo5唔m4見gin3咗zo2我ngo5本bun2書syu1我 唔 見 咗 我 本 書ngo5 m4 gin3 zo2 ngo5 bun2 syu1"I lost my book"is perfectly acceptable, but * 我ngo5唔m4食sik6咗zo2嘢je5* 我 唔 食 咗 嘢{} ngo5 m4 sik6 zo2 je5"I did not eat"is ungrammatical.
(The correct expression should be 我冇食嘢 ngo5 mou5 sik6 je5: 我(I)冇(did not)食(eat)嘢(something/anything), but actually with an emphasis on not doing an action, as it is the negation of 我有食嘢 ngo5 yau5 sik6 je5: 我(I)有(did)食(eat)嘢(something/anything).)
你 下 個 禮 拜 放 假 呀?Haa2?
)The particle 咩 me1 is exclusively interrogative, indicating surprise and used to check the truth of an unexpected state of affairs.
)The other way to form yes–no questions uses a special construction in which the head of the predicate, say X, is replaced by X-not-X.
{jau5 mou5} {hung4 luk6 dang1}{have not have} red-green-lightIs there a traffic light?佢keoi5(s)he係hai6is加拿大人.gaa1 naa4 daai6 jan4*2Canada-person佢 係 加拿大人.keoi5 hai6 {gaa1 naa4 daai6 jan4*2}(s)he is Canada-person(S)he is a Canadian佢keoi5(s)he係咪hai6 mai6is isn't加拿大人?gaa1 naa4 daai6 jan4*2Canada-person佢 係咪 加拿大人?keoi5 {hai6 mai6} {gaa1 naa4 daai6 jan4*2}(s)he {is isn't} Canada-personIs (s)he a Canadian?你nei5you鍾意zung1 ji3like年糕.nin4 gou1year-cake你 鍾意 年糕.nei5 {zung1 ji3} {nin4 gou1}you like year-cakeYou like new-year cakes你nei5you鍾唔鍾意zung1 m4 zung1 ji3like not like年糕?nin4 gou1year-cake你 鍾唔鍾意 年糕?nei5 {zung1 m4 zung1 ji3} {nin4 gou1}you {like not like} year-cakeDo you like new-year cakes?你nei5you去過heoi3 gwo3go-EXP德國.Dak1 gwok3Germany你 去過 德國.nei5 {heoi3 gwo3} {Dak1 gwok3}you go-EXP GermanyYou have been to Germany你nei5you去過heoi3 gwo3go-EXP德國Dak1 gwok3Germany未?mei6*2not-yet(the word 去過 after 未 is omitted to avoid repetition.
The proximal demonstrative ("this"), is 呢 ni1 / nei1, or more frequently in fast speech, 依 ji1 (+ measure word).
: 啲 di1 is a very versatile word in Cantonese, besides pluralizing certain phrases, it can also mean "a little/few", e.g. 一啲 jat1 di1 "a little", or 早啲 zou2 di1 "earlier" (literally: early + (intensifier)).
"For example: 呢ni1/nei1啲di1書syu1係hai6邊bin1個go3嘅ge3呀？aa3呢 啲 書 係 邊 個 嘅 呀？ni1/nei1 di1 syu1 hai6 bin1 go3 ge3 aa3"Whose books are these?
"The suffix used for the plural of pronouns, 哋 dei6, cannot associate with human nouns, unlike its similar Mandarin counterpart 們 -men.
However, such a construction in Mandarin will be of indefinite reference, unless a demonstrative (e.g. 這 zhè "this") or the universal quantifier (每 měi "every") is present.
The adjective-marker construction serves as a transitive verb which takes the standard of comparison as an object.
"In Standard Mandarin, comparison is marked by adding 比 bǐ, which serves in an adverbial phrase, leaving the adjective itself unchanged.
The sentence above is translated into Mandarin as: 他tā3SG比bǐCOMP我wǒ1SG高gāotall他 比 我 高tā bǐ wǒ gāo3SG COMP 1SG tall"He is taller than me.
"Alternatively the plural marker 啲 di1 alone (without the numeral 一 jat1) can be used use as the sole complement of the verbal adjective.
"Cantonese has a dedicated habitual aspect marker, 開 hoi1, with no similar counterpart in Mandarin.
你nei52SG食sik6eat咗zo2PRF啦laa3COS吓?haa5Q你 食 咗 啦 吓?nei5 sik6 zo2 laa3 haa52SG eat PRF COS Q"You already ate, right?
"There is no gender distinction between the third person singulars of he, she and it in spoken or written Cantonese (佢); however in written Cantonese of formal register, which is similar to Mandarin, male and female may be distinguished with two different characters, 他 for male and 她 for female,[4] as well as 它 for inanimate objects (including plants), 牠 for (non-human) animals, and 祂 for god(s), which all have the same pronunciation.