nei5 nei1你呢
Jyutpingnei5 nei1
Yalenéih nēi
Definition
And you? How about you?
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Functions as a concise way to flip a question back to the listener without repeating the original verb or topic. It is essentially a shorthand for asking the same thing that was just stated or queried. While it is extremely common in casual conversation, it can sound slightly abrupt or overly direct in very formal business settings.
Examples
He loves traveling, what about you?
Common mistake
Avoid using this to mean 'you' in a general sense, as it is strictly a conversational tool for redirecting a question. Beginners sometimes mistakenly use it as a subject pronoun in sentences where it does not fit, such as trying to say 'You are good' by saying '你呢好'.
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.
