Describing things
Adjectives without 係, and comparing with 過
Describing things
In Cantonese an adjective works like the verb itself. To say “he is good” you do **not** add a **to be** word. You just say “he good”. And to compare two things, you add one word after the adjective.
No “to be” before an adjective
(subject) + adjective
An adjective is its own verb, so it takes no 係. In a plain statement it usually pairs with a degree word first, like 好 (very) or 幾 (quite). Save 係 for naming what something is.
This one is very big
He is quite good
This one is very pretty
Comparing two things
A + adjective + 過 + B
To compare, put 過 after the adjective, then what you compare against: A + adjective + 過 + B. The examples below show how it works.
Coffee is more expensive than tea
Older brother is bigger than younger brother
Adjectives stand alone
An adjective takes no **is** word; a plain statement adds a degree word like **very** or **quite** first. To compare two things, add **than** after the adjective, as in *bigger-than* or *more-expensive-than*.