me1 je5咩嘢
Jyutpingme1 je5
Yalemē yéh
Definition
What; a pronoun used to ask about an unknown thing.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Often shortened to just 咩 in casual speech, which functions identically as a question word. It carries a slightly more inquisitive or sometimes challenging tone compared to the standard 乜. Using 咩嘢 can sound a bit more emphatic or deliberate when you are genuinely seeking information about an object or concept.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the sentence final particle 咩, which is used to express disbelief or rhetorical questioning. While they share the same characters, the particle 咩 does not mean what and is placed at the end of a sentence to challenge a statement.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
