Cantonese modal verbs: 識, 會, 可以, 應該, 要, 想
Modal verbs are the small helper words for can, will, may, should, must, and want. Cantonese splits the English word can across three different modals, and choosing the wrong one is the classic beginner slip. This guide sorts out 識, 會, and 可以, then covers 應該, 要, 想, and 鍾意, with their negatives.
The core modals at a glance
| Modal | Meaning | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| sik1 識 | Can, as in a learned skill (know how to) | m4 sik1 唔識 |
| wui5 會 | Will or future, also an acquired ability | m4 wui5 唔會 |
| ho2 ji5 可以 | May, permission, or possibility | m4 ho2 ji5 唔可以 |
| jing1 goi1 應該 | Should, ought to | m4 jing1 goi1 唔應該 |
| jiu3 要 | Must, need to, have to | m4 sai2 唔使 |
| soeng2 想 | Want to, would like to | m4 soeng2 唔想 |
sik1 識: a learned skill
sik1 識 means can in the sense of knowing how to do something you learned, like swimming, driving, or speaking a language. It sits right before the verb. The literal idea is closer to know, so think of it as know how to.
會 wui5: will, future, and acquired ability
wui5 會 has two jobs. First, it marks the future: it says something will happen. Second, like sik1 識, it can express an ability you picked up, especially for languages and skills. For pure future events, such as weather, only 會 works.
For a hands on skill that you trained, reach for sik1 識: 我識游水 (I can swim). For something that will happen later, reach for wui5 會: 聽日會落雨 (it will rain tomorrow). Both can cover languages and learned abilities, so 我識講廣東話 and 我會講廣東話 both mean I can speak Cantonese. The split that trips people up is using 識 for a future event, which does not work.
可以 ho2 ji5: permission and possibility
ho2 ji5 可以 means may or allowed to. It covers permission (you have the right or the okay to do something) and possibility (it is doable). To ask for permission, Cantonese often splits it into the A not A question form 可唔可以.
應該 jing1 goi1: should
jing1 goi1 應該 means should or ought to. It gives advice or states what is the right or expected thing to do. It goes before the verb just like the other modals.
要 jiu3: must or need
jiu3 要 means must, need to, or have to. It marks obligation or necessity. One catch worth flagging early: the negative of 要 is not 唔要. To say do not need to, Cantonese uses 唔使 (m4 sai2), covered below.
想 soeng2 and 鍾意 zung1 ji3: want and like
soeng2 想 means want to or would like to: it expresses a wish for a single action right now. zung1 ji3 鍾意 means like to: it expresses an ongoing preference or enjoyment. Both sit before the verb.
The negatives: 唔識, 唔會, 唔可以, 唔使
Most modals negate by putting 唔 in front: 唔識 (cannot, do not know how to), 唔會 (will not), 唔可以 (may not, not allowed), 唔想 (do not want to). The odd one out is 要. Its negative is 唔使 (do not need to, no need), not 唔要.
False friends with Mandarin
If you come from Mandarin, two habits will lead you astray. Mandarin 会 (huì) is used freely for both skills and the future, so Mandarin speakers often say 會 where spoken Cantonese prefers 識 for a trained skill. And Mandarin 能 (néng) for can or able to has no everyday spoken Cantonese equivalent: do not say 能 in conversation. Use 識, 會, or 可以 depending on the meaning.
Common mistakes
Using 識 for the future
sik1 識 is for a learned skill, not for things that will happen. To say it will rain tomorrow you need wui5 會: 聽日會落雨. Saying 聽日識落雨 is wrong, because rain is not a skill anyone learns.
Negating 要 with 唔要
To say you do not need to do something, use 唔使: 你唔使擔心 (you do not need to worry). 唔要 does exist, but it means do not want it, as in refusing an object, not do not need to. For the modal sense of have to, the negative is 唔使.
Reaching for Mandarin 會 and 能
Mandarin lets 会 cover skills and the future together, and 能 cover can or able to. In spoken Cantonese, split a trained skill out with sik1 識, keep wui5 會 mainly for the future and acquired abilities, and use ho2 ji5 可以 for permission. The Mandarin word 能 is not used in everyday Cantonese speech at all. See the negation guide for how 唔 pairs with these modals.
