Cantonese quantifiers and 啲 (di1)
Cantonese marks amount without changing the noun. The workhorse is di1 啲, a tiny word that means some and also acts as a vague plural marker. Around it sit cyun4 bou6 全部 for all, mui5 每 for every, and di1 di1 啲啲 for a tiny bit. Mandarin speakers tend to skip 啲, so it is worth real attention.
The main quantifiers at a glance
| Word | Use | Rough English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| di1 啲 | Some, or a vague plural that replaces the classifier | some, the (plural) |
| cyun4 bou6 全部 | The whole lot, often with dou1 都 | all, the whole |
| mui5 每 | Every, with a classifier and often dou1 都 | every, each |
| di1 di1 啲啲 | A tiny amount, doubling 啲 for smallness | a little bit |
| hou2 do1 好多 | A large amount or number | many, a lot |
di1 啲: some, and the vague plural
di1 啲 is the single most useful quantifier in Cantonese. It means some, and it also turns a noun into a vague plural. When you use 啲, you do not use a classifier, because 啲 takes that slot itself. It stands in for the measure word and signals an unspecified amount.
Mandarin has no everyday word that does the job of 啲, so Mandarin speakers leave it out and a sentence sounds bare or unnatural. To say buy fruit you do not say maai5 saang1 gwo2 on its own when you mean some fruit. You say maai5 di1 saang1 gwo2 買啲生果. Reaching for 啲 is one of the fastest ways to sound more native.
ni1 di1 呢啲 and go2 di1 嗰啲: these and those
To point at a group of things, put ni1 呢 (this) or go2 嗰 (that) in front of 啲. The result is these and those. Again, there is no classifier, because 啲 already marks the plural. This is the plural counterpart of ni1 go3 呢個 (this one) and go2 go3 嗰個 (that one).
cyun4 bou6 全部: all, usually with dou1 都
cyun4 bou6 全部 means the whole lot, all of it. It very often pairs with dou1 都, the adverb that means in every case. The pattern is cyun4 bou6 全部 followed by dou1 都 and then the rest of the sentence. The dou1 都 reinforces that the statement covers everything.
mui5 每: every, with a classifier and dou1 都
mui5 每 means every. Unlike 啲, it does need a classifier after it, because it counts individual members of a set: mui5 每 plus a measure word plus the noun. The sentence then usually carries dou1 都 before the verb to mean in each case. So every person is mui5 go3 jan4 每個人, with go3 個 as the classifier.
This is the contrast to remember. 啲 replaces the classifier, so you never add a measure word after it. 每 needs the classifier, so you always add one: mui5 go3 jan4 每個人, mui5 bun2 syu1 每本書. Mixing them up is a common slip.
di1 di1 啲啲: a tiny bit
Double up 啲 to make di1 di1 啲啲, which means a tiny amount, a little bit. The doubling shrinks the quantity rather than enlarging it. It is common after an adjective to soften a degree, as in a little bit colder.
hou2 do1 好多 and hou2 siu2 好少: many and few
For many and few, Cantonese uses hou2 do1 好多 (a lot, many) and hou2 siu2 好少 (few, little). The hou2 好 literally means very, so these read as very many and very few, which is the everyday way to express a large or small amount.
Common mistakes
Leaving out 啲
The biggest issue, especially for Mandarin speakers, is dropping 啲 entirely. To say drink some water you say jam2 di1 seoi2 飲啲水, not jam2 seoi2 on its own. Without 啲 the sentence loses the natural sense of some and sounds abrupt.
Adding a classifier after 啲
Saying ni1 di1 bun2 syu1 with both 啲 and the classifier bun2 本 is wrong, because 啲 already takes the classifier slot. The correct form is ni1 di1 syu1 呢啲書. Use 啲 or a classifier, never both.
Forgetting the classifier after 每
每 is the opposite case. Saying mui5 jan4 to mean every person is incomplete. You need the classifier: mui5 go3 jan4 每個人. And in a full sentence, remember the dou1 都 before the verb, as in mui5 go3 jan4 dou1 jiu3 lai4 每個人都要嚟.
