ngo5我
I / me
ngo5我jau5有saam1三go3個
I have three
Learn
I, You & They
The pronouns you need for every sentence
Pronouns are the glue of everyday Cantonese, and the good news is there are only three to learn before they become plural. This lesson teaches 我 (ngo5), 你 (nei5), and 佢 (keoi5), then shows how adding 哋 (dei6) turns each one into we, you all, or they. With these six words you can build the subject of nearly any sentence.
What you'll learn
- Say “I” or “me” with 我 (ngo5)
- Say “you” with 你 (nei5)
- Refer to he or she with 佢 (keoi5)
- Say “we” with 我哋 (ngo5 dei6)
- Say “you all” with 你哋 (nei5 dei6)
- Say “they” with 佢哋 (keoi5 dei6)
Now let's learn pronouns: the words for I, you, and he or she, plus their plurals. These are the building blocks of every sentence you'll make.
nei5你
you
nei5你jau5有gei2幾do1多go3個？
How many do you have?
keoi5佢
he / she / him / her
keoi5佢jau5有loeng5兩go3個
He has two
ngo5我dei6哋
we / us
ngo5我dei6哋jau5有ng5五go3個
We have five
nei5你dei6哋
you (plural)
nei5你dei6哋jau5有gei2幾go3個？
How many do you all have?
keoi5佢dei6哋
they / them
keoi5佢dei6哋jau5有sap6十go3個
They have ten
Frequently asked questions
How do you say I, you, and he in Cantonese?
Say 我 (ngo5) for I, 你 (nei5) for you, and 佢 (keoi5) for he or she. Cantonese uses 佢 for both genders, so the same word covers him and her.
How do you make pronouns plural in Cantonese?
Add 哋 (dei6) to the singular pronoun. That gives 我哋 (ngo5 dei6) for we, 你哋 (nei5 dei6) for you all, and 佢哋 (keoi5 dei6) for they.
Does Cantonese have separate words for he and she?
No. The single pronoun 佢 (keoi5) covers he, she, him, and her, so you do not need to choose a gender when you speak.