Grammar library
Everything you need to understand how Cantonese works, from sentence particles and tones to aspect markers, negation, and questions. Every example comes with native audio, free for anyone learning Cantonese.
In 30 seconds
The whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- No tenses
- Word order
- 6 tones
- Particles
- No plurals
- Negation
Browse all grammar topics
Each guide is self contained, with native audio on every example. Start anywhere, in any order.
Particles
Sentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- laa1
- gaa3
- ge3
- lo1
Negation
How to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- m4
- mou5
- mei6
- mai5
Aspect markers
Cantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- zo2
- gwo3
- gan2
- hai2 dou6
Questions
From yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- A not A
- mat1 je5
- bin1 go3
- bin1 dou6
Tones
Cantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- si1
- si2
- si3
- si4
Classifiers
Cantonese 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.
- 個 go3
- 隻 zek3
- 本 bun2
- 張 zoeng1
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).
- 我嘅 ngo5 ge3
- 你嘅 nei5 ge3
- 佢嘅 keoi5 ge3
- X 嘅 Y
Location
How to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- 喺 hai2
- 度 dou6
- 邊度 bin1 dou6
- 響 hoeng2
Time and dates
Clock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- 點鐘 dim2 zung1
- 幾點 gei2 dim2
- 今日 gam1 jat6
- 聽日 ting1 jat6
Modal verbs
How to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
- 識 sik1
- 會 wui5
- 可以 ho2 ji5
- 應該 jing1 goi1
Comparisons
How 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.
- A 過 B
- 啲 di1
- 最 zeoi3
- 同...一樣
Numbers and money
Counting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- 蚊 man1
- 毫 hou4
- 兩 loeng5
- 幾多 gei2 do1
Requests
How to ask for things politely with 唔該 and 麻煩, give a gentle command, and soften a request with V 吓.
- 唔該 m4 goi1
- 麻煩 maa4 faan4
- 請 cing2
- V 吓 haa5
係...嘅 focus
A very common spoken pattern that puts the spotlight on one part of a sentence, used for emphasis, identity, and strong statements.
- 係...嘅
- 唔係...嘅
- 佢係...嘅
- emphasis
Conditionals
How to say if this, then that, and as soon as. The patterns you need for plans, hypotheticals, and cause and effect.
- 如果...就
- 一...就
- 假如 gaa2 jyu4
- jyu4 gwo2...zau6
Directional complements
The small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- 上 soeng5
- 落 lok6
- 出 ceot1
- 入 jap6
Demonstratives
This and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- 呢 ni1
- 嗰 go2
- 我哋 ngo5 dei6
- 佢哋 keoi5 dei6
Quantifiers
The all purpose word 啲 for some and plural, plus 全部, 每, and 啲啲. How Cantonese marks amount without changing the noun.
- 啲 di1
- 全部 cyun4 bou6
- 每 mui5
- 啲啲 di1 di1
Resultative complements
Sticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
- 食飽 sik6 baau2
- 搵到 wan2 dou2
- 打爛 daa2 laan6
- 做完 zou6 jyun4
Passive (畀)
How to say something was done to someone or something, using 畀. Where Mandarin reaches for 被, spoken Cantonese uses 畀.
- 畀 bei2
- 畀人 V
- X 畀 Y V
- short passive
Relative clauses
How to build phrases like the thing I ate or the person who called, by putting a whole clause in front of a noun with 嘅.
- V 嘅 N
- 食嘅嘢
- 買嘅嘢
- 識嘅人
Potential complements
How to say you can or cannot manage a result, by slotting 得 or 唔 into the middle of a verb phrase. A neat Cantonese trick.
- V 得 dak1
- V 唔 m4
- 食得晒
- 食唔晒
Serial verbs
Stringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 去街買嘢
- 攞嚟用
- 坐低傾
- V1 V2
Giving (畀)
How to say give someone something, and the word order Cantonese uses for giving, which often surprises learners.
- 畀本書我
- 畀錢佢
- V + IO + DO
- 送 sung3
將 disposal
How to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
- 將 zoeng1
- 將本書擺好
- 將 + O + V
Emphasis (先至)
How to say only then and only if with 至 and 先至, a precise way to link a condition to its result that beginners often miss.
- 至 zi3
- 先至 sin1 zi3
- 至好 zi3 hou2
- 唯有...至
Conjunctions
The conjunctions and linking words that join ideas across a sentence, for reason, contrast, and sequence, in natural spoken Cantonese.
- 雖然...但係
- 因為...所以
- 不過 bat1 gwo3
- 同埋 tung4 maai4
Duration
How to ask and answer how long something takes and how often it happens, with 幾耐, 耐, and the common frequency words.
- 幾耐 gei2 noi6
- 耐 noi6
- 成日 seng4 jat6
- 幾多次 gei2 do1 ci3
Particle clusters
Real Cantonese rarely uses one sentence particle at a time. Learn how particles stack and what the common combinations mean.
- 㗎喎 gaa3 wo3
- 啦喎 laa1 wo3
- 㗎啦 gaa3 laa1
- 咋嘛 zaa3 maa3
Existential 有
How 有 says there is, someone has, and something exists. One of the first verbs you need and a building block for many patterns.
- 有 jau5
- 有冇 jau5 mou5
- 有人 jau5 jan4
- 有啲 jau5 di1
Code mixing
How English words slot into everyday Hong Kong speech, from like and OK to book a table, and how they pick up Cantonese tones.
- like
- OK
- sorry
- check
Reduplication
Repeating a word to add colour or soften it, like a reddish red or have a quick look. An expressive pattern that makes you sound natural.
- 紅紅哋
- 睇吓睇吓
- 慢慢 maan6 maan2
- 高高哋
Reported speech
How to report what someone said using 話 and 講, for retelling conversations and passing on messages.
- 話 waa6
- 佢話...
- 講...話
- 聽講 teng1 gong2
Topic comment
Cantonese likes to name the thing you are talking about first, even when it is the object. How to front a topic and then comment on it.
- 呢本書我睇咗
- Topic + comment
- object fronting
- S V O
住 and 開
Cantonese has more aspect than 咗 and 緊. Learn 住 for a state that keeps going, like wearing or holding, and 開 for something you do as a habit.
- 住 zyu6
- 開 hoi1
- 著住 zoek3 zyu6
- 做開 zou6 hoi1
Right dislocation
In casual Cantonese the subject or a modifier often comes after the sentence, even after the particle. How afterthought word order works.
- 去邊度呀你
- postposed subject
- afterthought
- 口語
Identity
How to say this is that, and this is not that. 係 is the equals sign of a Cantonese sentence, and 唔係 is how you flip it.
- 係 hai6
- 唔係 m4 hai6
- 佢係護士
- A 係 B
Adjectives
An adjective is already the verb, so you say 今日好熱, not 今日係熱. How Cantonese describes things without a copula.
- 好熱 hou2 jit6
- 好靜 hou2 zing6
- 都幾高 dou1 gei2 gou1
- no 係
Word order
Who, then the action, then the thing. Time and place sit before the verb, not at the end the way English often puts them.
- SVO
- time first
- place first
- 我聽日返屋企
Degree
How strong a quality is. 好 is the everyday very, 太 is too, 幾 is quite, and 咁 is so.
- 好 hou2
- 太 taai3
- 幾 gei2
- 咁 gam3
How often
Usually, sometimes, all the time, rarely, never. All five sit in one slot, between the subject and the verb.
- 通常 tung1 soeng4
- 有時 jau5 si4
- 成日 seng4 jat6
- 從來 cung4 loi4
Also and only
都 covers also and all from in front of the verb. 淨係 narrows to only, 又 and 再 split the two kinds of again, and 仲 says still.
- 都 dou1
- 淨係 zing6 hai6
- 又 jau6
- 再 zoi3
All, too, one more
Three endings that clip onto the back of the verb. 晒 says all of it, 埋 says the rest of it, and 添 asks for one more.
- 晒 saai3
- 埋 maai4
- 添 tim1
- 食晒
How you do it
Fast, slowly, well. Cantonese reuses the adjective and hooks it onto the verb with 得, so 佢行得好快 is they walk very fast.
- 行得好快
- 講得好好
- 食得好慢
- no adverb form
First
English and Mandarin put first in front of the verb. Cantonese hangs 先 on the end, so 我食飯先 is let me eat first.
- 我食飯先
- 你行先
- not 我先食飯
- 先 sin1
Related on the blog
Frequently asked questions
What Cantonese grammar should I learn first?
Start with word order and the idea that verbs never change form. Cantonese has no tenses, no plurals, and no conjugation, so most of grammar is about adding small words in the right place. After word order, learn the aspect markers zo2, gan2, and gwo3, then the sentence final particles that carry most of the nuance.
Does Cantonese have verb tenses?
No. Cantonese verbs stay the same in every situation. Time comes from context words like yesterday or tomorrow, and aspect markers attached to the verb show whether an action is completed, ongoing, or experienced. The system is smaller than English tenses, just different.
How many tones does Cantonese have?
Modern Hong Kong Cantonese has six tones. Tone is part of a word's meaning, so the same syllable said with a different tone is a different word. That is why every example on this site shows tone coloured romanization.
Is Cantonese grammar harder than Mandarin grammar?
They are broadly similar. Both drop tenses and plurals and rely on word order and particles. Cantonese has more sentence final particles and six tones rather than four, but neither language asks you to memorise conjugation tables.
What are sentence final particles?
Short words added to the end of a sentence that change its mood or emphasis, like laa1, gaa3, or ge3. They carry tone of voice in both speech and writing, and using them naturally is one of the biggest steps toward sounding fluent. See the particles guide for the common ones.