hai6 m4 hai6係唔係系唔系

Jyutpinghai6 m4 hai6

Yalehaih m̀h haih

動詞

Definition

Is it or is it not; whether or not; used to ask a yes-or-no question.

colloquialcommunication

How it's used

Functions as the standard way to form yes or no questions by juxtaposing the affirmative and negative forms of the verb. It is extremely versatile and can be placed at the beginning of a sentence or before the main verb to seek confirmation. Unlike the Mandarin equivalent, it does not require a sentence-final particle to function as a question, though speakers often add particles like 呀 or 㗎 to soften the tone.

Examples

nei5你hai6係m4唔hai6係ting1聽jat6日heoi3去leoi5旅hang4行aa4呀？

Are you going on a trip tomorrow?

keoi5佢hai6係m4唔hai6係m4唔syu1舒fuk6服，dim2點gaai2解mou5冇faan1返gung1工？

Is he feeling unwell? Why didn't he go to work?

Common phrases

hai6係m4唔hai6係aa4呀

Is that so?

hai6係m4唔hai6係zan1真

Is it true?

Common mistake

Beginners often mistakenly add 嗎 at the end of the sentence because of Mandarin influence. In Cantonese, 嗎 is not used; the question is already fully formed by the structure 係唔係 itself.