Saying what belongs to whom
Using 嘅 to join an owner to what they have
Using 嘅 to join an owner to what they have. Work through clear examples, then lock it in with interactive Cantonese practice in the YumCha app.
Saying what belongs to whom
To show that something **belongs** to someone, Cantonese puts one little word between the owner and the thing. It works just like **'s** in English: my mum, your home.
X's thing
owner + 嘅 + thing
嘅 links an owner to what they have, like 's in English. 我嘅 means “my”, 你嘅 “your”, 佢嘅 “his” or “her”. It joins two people too: 媽媽嘅妹妹 means “mum's younger sister”. In spoken Cantonese always use 嘅, never the written form 的.
my mum
your older brother
mum's younger sister
my home
X's thing
To show belonging, put **嘅** between the owner and the thing: 我**嘅**媽媽, 媽媽**嘅**妹妹. Spoken Cantonese uses 嘅, not the written 的. With close family, 嘅 is often dropped in speech: 我媽媽 = 我嘅媽媽.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Saying what belongs to whom 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.