Lesson 8.1: Grammar Focus

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

住喺

zyu6 hai2

Live at / Reside in

Structure: Subject + 住喺 (zyu6 hai2) + location

Examples

我住喺英國。

ngo5 zyu6 hai2 jing1 gwok3

I live in the UK.

你住喺邊度呀？

nei5 zyu6 hai2 bin1 dou6 aa3?

Where do you live?

我父母住喺法國。

ngo5 fu6 mou5 zyu6 hai2 faat3 gwok3

My parents live in France.

Note: 住喺 (zyu6 hai2) = live at/in. 住 (zyu6) = to reside. 喺 (hai2) = at/in. Together they form the verb phrase "live in".

啲

di1

Some / Plural marker

Structure: 啲 (di1) + noun — makes the noun plural or non-specific

Examples

我啲親戚住喺香港。

ngo5 di1 can1 cik1 zyu6 hai2 hoeng1 gong2

My relatives live in Hong Kong.

我而家做緊啲嘢。

ngo5 ji4 gaa1 zou6 gan2 di1 je5

I'm doing some things right now.

佢啲朋友都係香港人。

keoi5 di1 pang4 jau5 dou1 hai6 hoeng1 gong2 jan4

His/her friends are all from Hong Kong.

Compare: 個 (go3) = one specific item (我有一個朋友 = I have one friend). 啲 (di1) = plural/some (我啲朋友 = my friends).

呢

ne1

How about…? (question particle)

Structure: Statement + subject + 呢 — returns a question back to the other person

Examples

我有一個細妹，你呢？

ngo5 jau5 jat1 go3 sai3 mui6, nei5 ne1?

I have a younger sister, how about you?

我飲咖啡，你呢？

ngo5 jam2 gaa3 fe1, nei5 ne1?

I drink coffee, how about you?

我住喺英國，你呢？

ngo5 zyu6 hai2 jing1 gwok3, nei5 ne1?

I live in the UK, how about you?

Usage: 呢 (ne1) is a soft question particle — it bounces the question back. 我有兩個哥哥，你呢？(ngo5 jau5 loeng5 go3 go1 go1, nei5 ne1?) = I have two older brothers, how about you?

個

go3

Classifier for people / things

Structure: Number + 個 (go3) + noun

Examples

我有兩個哥哥。

ngo5 jau5 loeng5 go3 go1 go1

I have two older brothers.

我一個人去香港。

ngo5 jat1 go3 jan4 heoi3 hoeng1 gong2

I went to Hong Kong alone.

我屋企有四個人。

ngo5 uk1 kei2 jau5 sei3 go3 jan4

My family has four people.

Note: 個 (go3) is the most general classifier. Use it for people and most objects. 一個人 (jat1 go3 jan4) = one person. 兩個哥哥 (loeng5 go3 go1 go1) = two older brothers.

呢個

ni1 go3

This / This one

Structure: 呢個 (ni1 go3) + noun — points to something nearby

Examples

呢個星期好忙。

ni1 go3 sing1 kei4 hou2 mong4

This week is very busy.

呢個炒飯好食。

ni1 go3 caau2 faan6 hou2 sik6

This fried rice is delicious.

呢個人係我細佬。

ni1 go3 jan4 hai6 ngo5 sai3 lou2

This person is my younger brother.

Compare: 呢個 (ni1 go3) = this. 嗰個 (go2 go3) = that. 呢個炒飯 (ni1 go3 caau2 faan6) = this fried rice. 嗰個炒飯 (go2 go3 caau2 faan6) = that fried rice.

Each drill has 5 questions — one per grammar point — so you practise distinguishing all five in context.

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CantonesePath A1 Grammar Focus — Lesson 8