ng4吾
Jyutpingng4
Yaleǹgh
Definition
First-person singular pronoun; I, me, or my.
writtenpeople
How it's used
Literary Chinese uses this character as a standard first-person pronoun, but it is effectively absent from modern spoken Cantonese. Speakers use 我 exclusively in daily life, and encountering this character in a Cantonese context almost always indicates a deliberate attempt to sound archaic, poetic, or overly formal. It functions as a stylistic marker for classical Chinese influence rather than a functional pronoun in the vernacular.
Examples
I have not eaten yet.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the negative particle 唔, which is the standard way to negate verbs in Cantonese. Using this character in casual conversation will sound extremely unnatural or like a parody of classical literature.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
