Cantonese demonstratives and pronouns: 呢, 嗰, and 哋
Pointing at things and talking about people is some of the first Cantonese you will ever need. The good news is that the system is tiny. There are two demonstratives, ni1 呢 for this and go2 嗰 for that, three personal pronouns with no gender, and one plural marker dei6 哋 that makes everything plural. Nothing changes form for subject or object, so there are no cases to memorise.
The system at a glance
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ni1 呢 | this | Needs a classifier after it |
| go2 嗰 | that | Needs a classifier after it |
| ni1 di1 呢啲 | these | di1 啲 is the plural classifier |
| go2 di1 嗰啲 | those | di1 啲 is the plural classifier |
| ngo5 我 | I, me | Add dei6 哋 for we, us |
| nei5 你 | you | Add dei6 哋 for you all |
| keoi5 佢 | he, she, it | No gender. Add dei6 哋 for they |
| bin1 go3 邊個 | which, who | bin1 邊 plus a classifier |
呢 this and 嗰 that always take a classifier
In English you can say "this" or "that" all by itself. In Cantonese you almost never do. ni1 呢 and go2 嗰 are glued to a classifier, the small counting word that matches the kind of thing you are pointing at. The most common one is go3 個, the general classifier, so ni1 go3 呢個 is the everyday way to say "this one".
Saying ni1 syu1 呢書 for "this book" sounds wrong to a native ear. You need the classifier in the middle: ni1 bun2 syu1 呢本書. Pick the classifier that matches the noun, the same way you would when counting. If you are not sure which one to use, the general classifier go3 個 is a safe default in casual speech. For the full list see the classifiers guide.
呢啲 these and 嗰啲 those for plurals
When you point at more than one thing, swap the single classifier for di1 啲, the plural classifier. That gives ni1 di1 呢啲 for"these" and go2 di1 嗰啲 for "those". Notice that the demonstrative itself does not change, only the classifier does.
我 你 佢: pronouns with no gender
Cantonese has three basic personal pronouns, and they could not be simpler. ngo5 我 is "I", nei5 你 is "you", and keoi5 佢 covers "he", "she", and "it" all at once. There is no spoken difference for gender, so context tells you who is meant. Just as important, the word does not change when it is the object: ngo5 我 is both "I" and "me". There are no cases to learn.
哋 makes a pronoun plural
To go from singular to plural, add the plural marker dei6 哋 straight after the pronoun. ngo5 我 becomes ngo5 dei6 我哋 (we, us), nei5 你 becomes nei5 dei6 你哋 (you all), and keoi5 佢 becomes keoi5 dei6 佢哋 (they, them). The same dei6 哋 works on all three, with no other changes.
邊個 which or who
To ask "which one", use bin1 邊 with a classifier, exactly like ni1 呢 and go2 嗰. The most common form is bin1 go3 邊個. When it points at a person, the same bin1 go3 邊個 also means "who". Context decides whether you are choosing an object or asking about a person.
Common mistakes
Dropping the classifier after 呢 or 嗰
The single biggest error is saying ni1 syu1 呢書 or go2 jan4 嗰人. Cantonese needs a classifier in between: ni1 bun2 syu1 呢本書 and go2 go3 jan4 嗰個人. If you are unsure which classifier fits, go3 個 is the safe general choice.
Trying to mark gender on 佢
keoi5 佢 already means "he", "she", and "it". There is no separate spoken word for "she", so do not look for one. The listener works out who you mean from context, and that is completely normal in Cantonese.
Forgetting that 哋 is the only plural change
To make a pronoun plural you only add dei6 哋. The pronoun itself never changes shape, and there is no case ending for subject versus object. ngo5 dei6 我哋 is both "we" and "us", and keoi5 dei6 佢哋 is both "they" and "them".
