heoi1 ci4虛詞虚词
Jyutpingheoi1 ci4
Yalehēui chìh
Definition
Function words; grammatical words with little or no lexical meaning, such as prepositions, conjunctions, particles, and adverbs.
neutralcommunication
How it's used
Linguists use this term to describe words that lack concrete lexical meaning but provide essential grammatical structure. In Cantonese, these are the glue that holds sentences together, especially the sentence final particles which convey the speaker's attitude and mood. Unlike nouns or verbs, these words are rarely used in isolation and are almost always unstressed in natural speech.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
How many function words are there in this sentence?
You need to master function words to speak authentic Cantonese.
Related words
Common phrases
usage of function words
learning function words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 虛詞 with content words because they try to translate them literally. Remember that these words function as grammatical markers rather than carrying independent semantic weight.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
