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Cantonese Grammar

Good news: Cantonese grammar is simpler than English in many ways. No verb conjugations, no plurals, no articles. Here are the key patterns you need.

Sentence Structure

Cantonese follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, just like English. This makes it more intuitive for English speakers than Japanese or Korean (which use SOV).

Subject + Verb + Object
我食飯
ngo5 sik6 faan6
I eat rice
Same as English SVO order!
Subject + 唔 + Verb
我唔食
ngo5 m4 sik6
I don't eat
唔 (m4) negates verbs
Subject + Verb + 咗 + Object
我食咗飯
ngo5 sik6 zo2 faan6
I ate rice / I have eaten
咗 marks completion (past tense)
Subject + Verb + 緊 + Object
我食緊飯
ngo5 sik6 gan2 faan6
I am eating rice
緊 marks ongoing action (present continuous)
Subject + 有冇 + Verb
你有冇食飯？
nei5 jau5 mou5 sik6 faan6?
Have you eaten?
有冇 creates yes/no questions
Subject + Adj + 唔 + Adj
好唔好？
hou2 m4 hou2?
Good or not? (Is it okay?)
A-not-A question pattern

Sentence-Final Particles

Particles at the end of sentences are a defining feature of Cantonese. They add emotion, nuance, and attitude. Master these and you'll sound much more natural.

呀 / 啊 aa3

Softens statements, makes them friendlier

好呀！(hou2 aa3!) — Okay! / Great!
係呀 (hai6 aa3) — Yes (soft)
喇 laa3

Indicates change of state or "already"

食飽喇 (sik6 baau2 laa3) — I'm full now
走喇 (zau2 laa3) — Let's go / Time to go
㗎 gaa3

Asserts a fact or emphasizes

係㗎 (hai6 gaa3) — It is! (emphatic)
好貴㗎 (hou2 gwai3 gaa3) — It's expensive!
咩 me1

Surprise question — "really?"

係咩？(hai6 me1?) — Really? Is that so?
你唔去咩？(nei5 m4 heoi3 me1?) — You're not going?
嘅 ge3

Possessive / nominalizer (like "的" in Mandarin)

我嘅書 (ngo5 ge3 syu1) — my book
好嘅 (hou2 ge3) — good one / it's good
吖 aa1

Polite suggestion or urging

食吖！(sik6 aa1!) — Eat! (go ahead)
快啲吖 (faai3 di1 aa1) — Hurry up!

Classifiers (Measure Words)

In Cantonese, you must use a classifier between a number and a noun. Think of them like saying "a cup of coffee" or "a slice of bread" — except they're required for everything. When in doubt, use 個 (go3).

Classifier Jyutping Used for
個 go3 General / default
隻 zek3 Animals, hands, boats, one of a pair
杯 bui1 Cups, glasses
碟 dip2 Plates, dishes
本 bun2 Books, notebooks
張 zoeng1 Flat things: paper, tables, tickets
枝 zi1 Thin/long things: pens, bottles
部 bou6 Machines, vehicles
件 gin6 Pieces: clothing, matters
條 tiu4 Long/thin: roads, fish, ties

Cantonese vs. Mandarin

If you know some Mandarin, here are key differences to watch out for.

Feature Cantonese Mandarin
Tones 6 tones 4 tones + neutral
Negation 唔 (m4) 不 (bù)
"To eat" 食 (sik6) 吃 (chī)
"To look" 睇 (tai2) 看 (kàn)
"He/She/It" 佢 (keoi5) 他/她/它
Possessive 嘅 (ge3) 的 (de)
Sentence particles Very rich system (呀, 喇, 㗎, 咩...) Fewer (吗, 呢, 吧...)
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