keoi5佢
Jyutpingkeoi5
Yalekéuih
Definition
He, she, him, her, or it (usually referring to humans or animals, rarely to inanimate objects).
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Unlike Mandarin, Cantonese does not distinguish between male and female pronouns in speech. The same character 佢 covers he, she, and it, so context is essential to identify the subject. It is primarily used for people and pets, whereas referring to inanimate objects with 佢 can sound unnatural or overly personified.
Examples
He didn't go to work today.
Related words
Common mistake
Beginners often try to add gender markers or look for a female equivalent, but 佢 is gender-neutral. Do not use 佢 for inanimate objects like tables or phones, as it sounds like you are treating them as living beings.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
