Asking questions
Where question words go, and the verb-not-verb pattern
This grammar lesson, “Asking questions,” ties the unit together by explaining the rules behind the words you just learned. You will see that Cantonese keeps the question word right where the answer would go, so word order stays simple, and you will learn the verb-not-verb pattern that builds yes/no questions like 有冇 (jau5 mou5). Understanding the pattern means you can form new questions on your own instead of memorising each one.
Asking questions
In English, question words like **what** and **where** jump to the front. In Cantonese they stay put, right where the answer would go. One common way to ask a yes or no question is to say the verb twice with **not** in the middle; another is to put **係咪** before what you are asking about.
Question words stay in place
you + verb + question word
A question word sits in the same spot as the answer, not at the front. “What do you want?” is literally “you want what?”, and “Where are you going?” is “you go where?”. The question word stays put, as the examples show.
What do you want?
Where are you going?
The verb-not-verb question
verb + 唔 + verb
To ask a yes or no question, say the verb, then 唔, then the verb again: 好唔好 asks “is it good / OK?”. The verb 有 (have) is special: its question form is 有冇, asking “do you have?”.
Is this good?
Do you have tea?
Keep it in place, double the verb
Question words stay where the answer goes, never at the front. And to ask yes or no, double the verb with **not** in between, as in *good-not-good* or *have-not-have*.
Frequently asked questions
Where do question words go in a Cantonese sentence?
Cantonese usually leaves the question word in the same position the answer would occupy, so you rarely reorder the sentence. This lesson shows the pattern with clear examples.
What is the verb-not-verb question pattern?
It pairs a verb with its negative to ask a yes/no question, as in 有冇 (jau5 mou5) meaning “have or not?” The reply simply picks one side.
Why is Cantonese question word order easier than English?
Because you do not move words to the front the way English does with “where” or “when,” the sentence shape stays close to a normal statement. That makes questions quicker to build once the pattern clicks.