Lesson 4.1: Grammar Focus

Tap any speaker button to hear the pronunciation. Study all six points then head to Drills to practise.

咩

me1

What?

Structure: Noun/Verb + 咩 — asks "what?"

Examples

你叫咩名呀？

nei5 giu3 me1 meng2 aa3?

What's your name?

你想食咩呀？

nei5 soeng2 sik6 me1 aa3?

What do you want to eat?

你而家做咩呀？

nei5 ji4 gaa1 zou6 me1 aa3?

What are you doing now?

Pattern: 你想飲咩呀 (nei5 soeng2 jam2 me1 aa3)？→ You want drink what? — 咩 (me1) always comes after the verb it questions.

幾多

gei2 do1

How many / How much

Structure: 幾多 + noun (quantity/amount)

Examples

請問幾多錢呀？

cing2 man6 gei2 do1 cin2 aa3?

Excuse me, how much is it?

你幾多歲呀？

nei5 gei2 do1 seoi3 aa3?

How old are you?

你電話幾多號呀？

nei5 din6 waa2 gei2 do1 hou6 aa3?

What is your phone number?

Note: 幾多 (gei2 do1) asks about quantity. For time, use 幾點 (gei2 dim2) instead.

想

soeng2

Want to / Would like to

Structure: Subject + 想 + verb (+ object)

Examples

你想飲咩呀？

nei5 soeng2 jam2 me1 aa3?

What would you like to drink?

我想飲紅酒。

ngo5 soeng2 jam2 hung4 zau2

I want to drink red wine.

我想食中國菜。

ngo5 soeng2 sik6 zung1 gwok3 coi3

I want to eat Chinese food.

Pattern: 我想 (ngo5 soeng2) + [verb] + [object]. Compare: 我要 (ngo5 jiu3) = I need/will have — more definite than 想 (soeng2).

邊度

bin1 dou6

Where?

Structure: 喺邊度 (where) / 邊度 + noun (where from)

Examples

你住喺邊度呀？

nei5 zyu6 hai2 bin1 dou6 aa3?

Where do you live?

你係邊度人呀？

nei5 hai6 bin1 dou6 jan4 aa3?

Where are you from?

你公司喺邊度呀？

nei5 gung1 si1 hai2 bin1 dou6 aa3?

Where is your company?

Note: 你係邊度人 (nei5 hai6 bin1 dou6 jan4) = "You are where person?" — 邊度 (bin1 dou6) slots in where the place word would be.

鍾意

zung1 ji3

Structure: Subject + 鍾意 + noun / verb

Examples

我鍾意睇書。

ngo5 zung1 ji3 tai2 syu1

I like reading books.

我鍾意食中國菜。

ngo5 zung1 ji3 sik6 zung1 gwok3 coi3

I like eating Chinese food.

你鍾意聽咩音樂？

nei5 zung1 ji3 teng1 me1 jam1 ngok6?

What kind of music do you like?

Compare: 鍾意 (zung1 ji3) = like vs 想 (soeng2) = want. 我鍾意飲咖啡 (ngo5 zung1 ji3 jam2 gaa3 fe1) = I like drinking coffee. 我想飲咖啡 (ngo5 soeng2 jam2 gaa3 fe1) = I want to drink coffee.

幾點

gei2 dim2

What time / What o'clock

Structure: 幾點 + verb — asking about time

Examples

而家幾點呀？

ji4 gaa1 gei2 dim2 aa3?

What time is it now?

我哋幾點食飯呀？

ngo5 dei6 gei2 dim2 sik6 faan6 aa3?

What time are we having the meal?

你幾點返屋企？

nei5 gei2 dim2 faan1 uk1 kei5?

What time are you going home?

Note: 幾點 (gei2 dim2) = what time vs 幾多 (gei2 do1) = how much. Both use 幾 (gei2) but with different second characters: 點 (dim2) for clock time, 多 (do1) for quantity.

Each drill has 6 questions — one per grammar point — so you practise distinguishing all six in context.

Match each Cantonese sentence to its correct English meaning. Each question uses a different grammar point.

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Each blank uses one of the 6 grammar points. Choose from the word bank — the label tells you which grammar point is being tested.

Choose the correct grammar word to complete each sentence. Each question tests a different grammar point.

CantonesePath A1 Grammar Focus — Lessons 1–4