keoi5 ge3佢嘅渠嘅
Jyutpingkeoi5 ge3
Yalekéuih ge
Definition
His; her; its; theirs.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
This is the standard possessive form in spoken Cantonese, formed by adding the possessive particle 嘅 to the pronoun 佢. It is gender neutral and applies equally to males, females, and animals. While written Chinese often distinguishes between 他的 and 她的, Cantonese speakers use 佢嘅 for both, relying on context to clarify who is being referred to.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 嘅 after nouns that do not require it, or try to apply Mandarin-style gender distinctions that do not exist in spoken Cantonese. Remember that 佢嘅 is strictly for the third person singular; do not use it for plural they, which is 佢哋嘅.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
Adverb
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Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
