Cantonese reported speech with 話 and 講
To report what someone said in Cantonese you mainly use two verbs: waa6 話 (to say) and gong2 講 (to tell). There is no word for "that" to introduce the reported clause, and crucially there is no tense change like there is in English. This guide shows you how to retell conversations and pass on messages naturally.
Two ways to report speech at a glance
| Pattern | Use | Rough English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| waa6 話 | Report what someone said, with no listener mentioned | say, said |
| tung4 ... gong2 同...講 | Tell a specific person something | tell someone |
| teng1 gong2 聽講 | Report hearsay, a rumour, or something you heard | I heard that |
waa6 話: the everyday say
"waa6 話" is the workhorse for reporting speech. The subject comes first, then 話, then the reported clause attaches directly. The single most important thing to notice is that there is no linking word. English needs "that", but Cantonese needs nothing.
In English you say "he said that he is coming" and you often shift the verb back to "he said he was coming". Cantonese does neither. There is no word for "that", and the verb in the reported clause stays in its plain form. Time comes from context words such as "ting1 jat6 (tomorrow)", never from the verb.
tung4 同 someone gong2 講: tell someone
When you want to name the listener, use "gong2 講" (to tell) and mark the person with "tung4 同". The frame is subject, then "tung4" plus the listener, then 講, then the message. Think of "tung4" here as "to" pointing at who is being told.
Notice that the reported clause keeps the original speaker's point of view loosely. In the first example, the tired person uses"keoi5 佢" (he) because we are retelling from outside, but the feeling reported is still the original speaker's. Cantonese does not force a rigid pronoun rewrite the way formal English grammar does.
teng1 gong2 聽講: I heard that
"teng1 gong2 聽講" literally means "hear say", and it flags hearsay: something you heard but did not witness, a rumour, or common knowledge. It usually opens the sentence, then the reported clause follows directly, again with no word for "that".
Direct quotes after 話
A direct quote works the same way as indirect speech: it simply follows "waa6 話". There is no special quotative particle and no change in word order. The line you are quoting just comes after 話 as if the speaker were saying it themselves.
Because the indirect and direct patterns look so similar, Cantonese often does not draw a hard line between them. Context and pronouns tell the listener whether you are quoting word for word or summarising.
Quick decision guide
- Reporting what someone said with no listener named? Use waa6 話 and attach the clause directly.
- Naming who was told? Use tung4 同 someone gong2 講.
- Passing on hearsay or a rumour? Open with teng1 gong2 聽講.
- Quoting someone word for word? Put the quote right after waa6 話.
- Never add a word for "that", and never shift the verb for tense.
Common mistakes
Inserting a word for that
English speakers often try to slot a linking word between 話 and the reported clause. There is none. "keoi5 waa6 keoi5 lai4 (he said he is coming)" is complete on its own. Do not look for a Cantonese equivalent of "that".
Changing the verb for tense
Saying "he said he was coming" tempts you to shift the verb into the past. Cantonese verbs do not change form, so it stays"keoi5 waa6 keoi5 lai4". If you need to mark completion or time, that comes from aspect markers and time words, not from the reporting verb. See the aspect markers guide.
Using 話 when you mean tell someone
If you want to name the listener, plain "waa6 話" is not the natural choice. Use "tung4 同 someone gong2 講" instead."keoi5 tung4 ngo5 gong2 (he told me)" sounds right, whereas forcing the listener onto 話 does not.
