How a sentence is built
The who, action, thing backbone of a Cantonese sentence
The who, action, thing backbone of a Cantonese sentence. Work through clear examples, then lock it in with interactive Cantonese practice in the YumCha app.
How a sentence is built
Good news: the backbone of a Cantonese sentence is the same as English. You say **who**, then the **action**, then the **thing**. So “I drink milk tea” is just 我 (I), 飲 (drink), 奶茶 (milk tea), in that order.
Who, action, thing
(who) + action + (thing)
Put the person first, then what they do, then what they do it to. The action word comes before the thing, never after it. This is the frame under almost every sentence you'll make.
I drink milk tea
You eat a BBQ pork bun
He wants dim sum
When and where come early
One thing to watch later: words for **when** and **where** come **before** the action, not after. So “I drink tea at home” is 我喺屋企飲茶, literally “I at home drink tea”. You'll practise this in the next few units, so don't worry about it yet.
Who, then action, then thing
Build a sentence in the order **who → action → thing**, just like English. Keep the action word in front of the thing, and you'll be understood.
Frequently asked questions
Is the How a sentence is built lesson free?
Yes. This Cantonese lesson is free to read online, with romanization and meanings for every word. In the YumCha app, your first lesson is free to try, and vocabulary practice, flashcards, and the dictionary stay free. A subscription unlocks the full interactive lesson path.
What romanization is used?
Both Jyutping and Yale, and you can switch between them. The romanization sits above every word, so you always know the pronunciation.
Do I need to read Chinese characters to start?
No. Romanization sits above every character and audio plays each word, so you can start speaking from your first lesson.