[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-article-local-cantonese-sentence-structure-grammar-basics":3,"$fHZsWYl_LcdVZ5GxKwtR-ZqvCZbbUdo2_Fi6R_GQKiQM":4,"blog-article-cms-cantonese-sentence-structure-grammar-basics":6,"article-hreflang-cantonese-sentence-structure-grammar-basics":1394,"blog-article-related-cantonese-sentence-structure-grammar-basics":1395},null,{"approximate_member_count":5},20340,{"id":7,"documentId":8,"title":9,"description":10,"timestampUnix":11,"slug":12,"h1":9,"image":13,"tags":19,"lang":3,"body":22,"createdAt":1388,"updatedAt":1389,"publishedAt":1390,"category":1391,"featured":1392,"timestamp":1393,"locale":-1,"_dir":1391},6676,"cs3kayl1x32jy0siu8gl91tz","Cantonese Sentence Structure: Grammar Basics for Beginners","Learn basic Cantonese sentence structure with clear examples. Master SVO word order, particles, negation, and questions to start speaking Cantonese faster.","1774508460000","cantonese-sentence-structure-grammar-basics",{"alt":14,"src":15,"width":16,"height":17,"previewOnly":18},"Basic Cantonese sentence structure for beginners - Banner","https:\u002F\u002Fmigaku-cms-assets.migaku.com\u002FScreenshot_2026_03_27_013550_2284a4f4c5\u002FScreenshot_2026_03_27_013550_2284a4f4c5.png",1000,445,false,[20,21],"fundamentals","grammar",{"data":23,"body":26,"toc":1374},{"title":24,"description":25},"","If you're learning Cantonese, you've probably noticed that grammar guides can get pretty confusing pretty fast. The good news? Basic Cantonese sentence structure actually follows patterns that English speakers will find familiar. Once you understand the core building blocks, you can start forming sentences way faster than you might think. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about Cantonese grammar basics, from simple statements to questions and negatives, with plenty of examples to get you speaking.",{"type":27,"children":28},"root",[29,48,52,56,63,76,81,101,106,124,129,134,176,181,184,190,195,210,239,247,263,268,284,298,306,322,327,330,336,363,368,371,377,390,432,437,448,477,482,498,503,506,512,517,529,558,563,596,608,650,655,672,687,692,695,701,706,711,834,839,885,896,925,936,967,972,975,981,986,991,1127,1132,1137,1153,1167,1209,1214,1217,1223,1228,1246,1251,1254,1260,1265,1294,1297,1303,1308,1321,1326,1334,1340,1343,1349,1354,1369],{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":32,"children":33},"element","p",{},[34,37,46],{"type":35,"value":36},"text","If you're ",{"type":30,"tag":38,"props":39,"children":43},"a",{"href":40,"rel":41},"https:\u002F\u002Fmigaku.com\u002Flearn-cantonese",[42],"nofollow",[44],{"type":35,"value":45},"learning Cantonese",{"type":35,"value":47},", you've probably noticed that grammar guides can get pretty confusing pretty fast. The good news? Basic Cantonese sentence structure actually follows patterns that English speakers will find familiar. Once you understand the core building blocks, you can start forming sentences way faster than you might think. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about Cantonese grammar basics, from simple statements to questions and negatives, with plenty of examples to get you speaking.",{"type":30,"tag":49,"props":50,"children":51},"toc",{},[],{"type":30,"tag":53,"props":54,"children":55},"hr",{},[],{"type":30,"tag":57,"props":58,"children":60},"h2",{"id":59},"the-basic-sentence-pattern-in-cantonese",[61],{"type":35,"value":62},"The basic sentence pattern in Cantonese",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":64,"children":65},{},[66,68,74],{"type":35,"value":67},"Cantonese follows a ",{"type":30,"tag":69,"props":70,"children":71},"strong",{},[72],{"type":35,"value":73},"Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)",{"type":35,"value":75}," word order, just like English. This makes it way easier for English speakers compared to languages that put the verb at the end. When you want to say \"I eat rice,\" the structure stays the same in both languages.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":77,"children":78},{},[79],{"type":35,"value":80},"Here's a simple example:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":83,"children":84},"ul",{},[85],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":87,"children":88},"li",{},[89,91,95],{"type":35,"value":90},"我食飯。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":93,"children":94},"br",{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":97,"children":98},"em",{},[99],{"type":35,"value":100},"I eat rice.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":102,"children":103},{},[104],{"type":35,"value":105},"Breaking it down:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":107,"children":108},{},[109,114,119],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":110,"children":111},{},[112],{"type":35,"value":113},"我 (ngo5) = I",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":115,"children":116},{},[117],{"type":35,"value":118},"食 (sik6) = eat",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":120,"children":121},{},[122],{"type":35,"value":123},"飯 (faan6) = rice",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":125,"children":126},{},[127],{"type":35,"value":128},"Pretty straightforward, right? The subject comes first, then the verb, then the object. This basic sentence structure forms the foundation for most of what you'll say in Cantonese.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":130,"children":131},{},[132],{"type":35,"value":133},"Let's look at a few more examples:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":135,"children":136},{},[137,150,163],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":138,"children":139},{},[140,142,145],{"type":35,"value":141},"佢睇書。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":143,"children":144},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":146,"children":147},{},[148],{"type":35,"value":149},"He\u002FShe reads a book.",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":151,"children":152},{},[153,155,158],{"type":35,"value":154},"我哋去香港。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":156,"children":157},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":159,"children":160},{},[161],{"type":35,"value":162},"We go to Hong Kong.",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":164,"children":165},{},[166,168,171],{"type":35,"value":167},"你飲茶。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":169,"children":170},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":172,"children":173},{},[174],{"type":35,"value":175},"You drink tea.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":177,"children":178},{},[179],{"type":35,"value":180},"The consistency here is your friend. Once you've got this pattern down, you can swap in different subjects, verbs, and objects to create tons of different sentences.",{"type":30,"tag":53,"props":182,"children":183},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":57,"props":185,"children":187},{"id":186},"adding-time-place-and-manner-to-your-sentences",[188],{"type":35,"value":189},"Adding time, place, and manner to your sentences",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":191,"children":192},{},[193],{"type":35,"value":194},"Here's where Cantonese grammar gets a bit different from English. When you want to add information about when, where, or how something happens, the placement follows specific rules.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":196,"children":197},{},[198],{"type":30,"tag":69,"props":199,"children":200},{},[201,208],{"type":30,"tag":38,"props":202,"children":205},{"href":203,"rel":204},"https:\u002F\u002Fmigaku.com\u002Fblog\u002Fchinese\u002Fcantonese-time-expressions",[42],[206],{"type":35,"value":207},"Time expressions",{"type":35,"value":209}," typically come right after the subject, before the verb:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":211,"children":212},{},[213,226],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":214,"children":215},{},[216,218,221],{"type":35,"value":217},"我今日食飯。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":219,"children":220},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":222,"children":223},{},[224],{"type":35,"value":225},"I eat today.",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":227,"children":228},{},[229,231,234],{"type":35,"value":230},"佢聽日去。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":232,"children":233},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":235,"children":236},{},[237],{"type":35,"value":238},"He\u002FShe goes tomorrow.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":240,"children":241},{},[242],{"type":30,"tag":69,"props":243,"children":244},{},[245],{"type":35,"value":246},"Place expressions also come before the verb:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":248,"children":249},{},[250],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":251,"children":252},{},[253,255,258],{"type":35,"value":254},"我喺屋企食飯。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":256,"children":257},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":259,"children":260},{},[261],{"type":35,"value":262},"I eat at home.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":264,"children":265},{},[266],{"type":35,"value":267},"You can even combine them:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":269,"children":270},{},[271],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":272,"children":273},{},[274,276,279],{"type":35,"value":275},"我今日喺屋企食飯。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":277,"children":278},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":280,"children":281},{},[282],{"type":35,"value":283},"I eat at home today.",{"type":30,"tag":285,"props":286,"children":287},"blockquote",{},[288],{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":289,"children":290},{},[291,293],{"type":35,"value":292},"💡The pattern becomes: ",{"type":30,"tag":69,"props":294,"children":295},{},[296],{"type":35,"value":297},"Subject + Time\u002FPlace + Verb + Object",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":299,"children":300},{},[301],{"type":30,"tag":69,"props":302,"children":303},{},[304],{"type":35,"value":305},"Manner (how you do something) usually comes right before the verb:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":307,"children":308},{},[309],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":310,"children":311},{},[312,314,317],{"type":35,"value":313},"我快啲食飯。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":315,"children":316},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":318,"children":319},{},[320],{"type":35,"value":321},"I eat quickly.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":323,"children":324},{},[325],{"type":35,"value":326},"Getting comfortable with these placements takes practice, but the rules stay consistent. Unlike English where we might say \"I quickly eat\" or \"I eat quickly,\" Cantonese keeps the manner expression before the verb.",{"type":30,"tag":53,"props":328,"children":329},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":57,"props":331,"children":333},{"id":332},"getting-comfortable-with-word-order",[334],{"type":35,"value":335},"Getting comfortable with word order",{"type":30,"tag":285,"props":337,"children":338},{},[339,345,347,350,352],{"type":30,"tag":340,"props":341,"children":342},"centered-text",{"bold":24,"underline":24},[343],{"type":35,"value":344},"\n💡 Remember This General Pattern 💡 \n",{"type":35,"value":346},"\n  \n",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":348,"children":349},{},[],{"type":35,"value":351},"\n \n",{"type":30,"tag":340,"props":353,"children":354},{},[355,357,362],{"type":35,"value":356},"\n Word order in Cantonese stays pretty consistent once you learn the rules. The basic pattern is: \n",{"type":30,"tag":69,"props":358,"children":359},{},[360],{"type":35,"value":361},"Subject + (Time) + (Place) + (Manner) + Verb + (Object) + (Particle)",{"type":35,"value":351},{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":364,"children":365},{},[366],{"type":35,"value":367},"Not every sentence needs all these elements, but when they appear, this is generally the order they follow.",{"type":30,"tag":53,"props":369,"children":370},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":57,"props":372,"children":374},{"id":373},"how-negation-works-in-cantonese",[375],{"type":35,"value":376},"How negation works in Cantonese",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":378,"children":379},{},[380,382,388],{"type":35,"value":381},"Making negative sentences in Cantonese is actually simpler than in English. You don't need helping verbs like \"don't\" or \"doesn't.\" Just stick 唔 ",{"type":30,"tag":383,"props":384,"children":387},"custom-audio",{"src":385,":type":386},"https:\u002F\u002Fmigaku-cms-assets.migaku.com\u002Fyue_89ebe797a8\u002Fyue_89ebe797a8.mp3","3",[],{"type":35,"value":389}," (m4) right before the verb.",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":391,"children":392},{},[393,406,419],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":394,"children":395},{},[396,398,401],{"type":35,"value":397},"我唔食飯。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":399,"children":400},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":402,"children":403},{},[404],{"type":35,"value":405},"I don't eat rice.",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":407,"children":408},{},[409,411,414],{"type":35,"value":410},"佢唔去。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":412,"children":413},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":415,"children":416},{},[417],{"type":35,"value":418},"He\u002FShe doesn't go.",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":420,"children":421},{},[422,424,427],{"type":35,"value":423},"我哋唔飲茶。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":425,"children":426},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":428,"children":429},{},[430],{"type":35,"value":431},"We don't drink tea.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":433,"children":434},{},[435],{"type":35,"value":436},"The 唔 particle works for most verbs and makes negation super consistent. There's no conjugation to worry about, no switching between \"don't\" and \"doesn't\" based on the subject. Just add 唔 before any verb and you've got your negative sentence.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":438,"children":439},{},[440,442,446],{"type":35,"value":441},"For the verb \"to have\" (有, jau5), the negation is slightly different. You use 冇 ",{"type":30,"tag":383,"props":443,"children":445},{"src":444,":type":386},"https:\u002F\u002Fmigaku-cms-assets.migaku.com\u002Fyue_6d22970f17\u002Fyue_6d22970f17.mp3",[],{"type":35,"value":447}," (mou5) instead:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":449,"children":450},{},[451,464],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":452,"children":453},{},[454,456,459],{"type":35,"value":455},"我有錢。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":457,"children":458},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":460,"children":461},{},[462],{"type":35,"value":463},"I have money.",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":465,"children":466},{},[467,469,472],{"type":35,"value":468},"我冇錢。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":470,"children":471},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":473,"children":474},{},[475],{"type":35,"value":476},"I don't have money.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":478,"children":479},{},[480],{"type":35,"value":481},"Past tense negation uses the same 唔 pattern. You just need to understand that Cantonese doesn't mark tense the way English does. Context and time words tell you when something happened:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":483,"children":484},{},[485],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":486,"children":487},{},[488,490,493],{"type":35,"value":489},"我尋日唔食飯。",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":491,"children":492},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":494,"children":495},{},[496],{"type":35,"value":497},"I didn't eat yesterday.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":499,"children":500},{},[501],{"type":35,"value":502},"The verb stays the same whether you're talking about now or yesterday. The time word 尋日 (cam4 jat6, yesterday) handles the past tense meaning.",{"type":30,"tag":53,"props":504,"children":505},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":57,"props":507,"children":509},{"id":508},"asking-questions-in-cantonese",[510],{"type":35,"value":511},"Asking questions in Cantonese",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":513,"children":514},{},[515],{"type":35,"value":516},"Cantonese has a few different ways to form questions, and they're all pretty logical once you see the patterns.",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":518,"children":519},{},[520,522,527],{"type":35,"value":521},"The most common method uses the ",{"type":30,"tag":69,"props":523,"children":524},{},[525],{"type":35,"value":526},"verb-not-verb",{"type":35,"value":528}," structure. You basically offer both options in the question:",{"type":30,"tag":82,"props":530,"children":531},{},[532,545],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":533,"children":534},{},[535,537,540],{"type":35,"value":536},"你食唔食飯？",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":538,"children":539},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":541,"children":542},{},[543],{"type":35,"value":544},"Do you eat rice?",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":546,"children":547},{},[548,550,553],{"type":35,"value":549},"佢去唔去？",{"type":30,"tag":92,"props":551,"children":552},{},[],{"type":30,"tag":96,"props":554,"children":555},{},[556],{"type":35,"value":557},"Does he\u002Fshe go?",{"type":30,"tag":31,"props":559,"children":560},{},[561],{"type":35,"value":562},"This pattern works because you're presenting both possibilities. 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Textbooks give you the rules, but watching shows, listening to podcasts, and reading actual Cantonese text shows you how people really use the language.",{"type":30,"tag":1266,"props":1309,"children":1310},{},[1311,1316],{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":1312,"children":1313},{},[1314],{"type":35,"value":1315},"Look for content with Cantonese subtitles (in characters) so you can see the sentence structure written out while hearing it spoken. YouTube has tons of Cantonese learning channels that break down grammar with examples.",{"type":30,"tag":86,"props":1317,"children":1318},{},[1319],{"type":35,"value":1320},"Language exchange partners can help too. 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