Basic Adjectives and 好 in Cantonese

基本形容詞同「好」

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Overview

Adjectives in Cantonese can act as predicates without a copula. The intensifier 好 hou2 (very) is commonly placed before adjectives. Basic adjectives: 大/細, 多/少, 靚/醜, 快/慢.

At the CEFR A1 (beginner) level, this concept -- known as 基本形容詞同「好」 in Cantonese -- is an essential component of daily communication. Cantonese grammar does not rely on verb conjugation or noun declension as European languages do. Instead, it uses word order, particles, and aspect markers to convey grammatical relationships. Understanding basic adjectives and 好 gives you a practical tool for immediate use in conversations.

For English speakers, some aspects of this concept will feel intuitive while others require a new way of thinking about language. The key to success is practicing the patterns until they become automatic, rather than trying to translate from English word by word.

How It Works

Predicate Adjectives: No Copula Needed

In Cantonese, adjectives function as stative verbs. They do not need 係 (to be):

Pattern	Structure	Example	Meaning
Affirmative	Subject + 好 + Adj	佢好高	He is very tall
Negative	Subject + 唔 + Adj	佢唔高	He is not tall
Question	Subject + Adj + 唔 + Adj?	佢高唔高？	Is he tall?

The Role of 好

The intensifier 好 hou2 (very) almost always appears before predicate adjectives. A bare adjective without an intensifier sounds incomplete or contrastive.

Common Adjective Pairs

Positive	Jyutping	Negative	Jyutping
大 (big)	daai6	細 (small)	sai3
多 (many)	do1	少 (few)	siu2
靚 (pretty)	leng3	醜 (ugly)	cau2
快 (fast)	faai3	慢 (slow)	maan6
熱 (hot)	jit6	凍 (cold)	dung3
平 (cheap)	peng4	貴 (expensive)	gwai3
長 (long)	coeng4	短 (short)	dyun2
新 (new)	san1	舊 (old)	gau6

Examples in Context

Cantonese	Jyutping	English	Note
呢個好大。	--	This is very big.	core pattern
嗰度好靚。	--	That place is very beautiful.	core pattern
今日好凍。	--	Today is very cold.	core pattern
佢好叻。	--	He/She is very smart.	core pattern
呢間房好光。	ni1 gaan1 fong2 hou2 gwong1	This room is very bright.	space description
佢好矮。	keoi5 hou2 ai2	He/She is very short.	physical description
啲嘢好平。	di1 je5 hou2 peng4	The things are very cheap.	price adjective
好遠。	hou2 jyun5	Very far.	distance adjective
唔好食。	m4 hou2 sik6	Not tasty.	negated adjective
佢高唔高？	keoi5 gou1 m4 gou1?	Is he/she tall?	A-not-A adjective question

Common Mistakes

Applying English Word Order

Wrong: Structuring the sentence based on English grammar rules
Right: Follow the Cantonese word order shown in the examples
Why: English and Cantonese organize sentences differently. Direct translation produces unnatural or ungrammatical results.

Substituting Mandarin Forms

Wrong: Using Mandarin vocabulary, particles, or grammar where Cantonese has its own forms
Right: Learn the Cantonese-specific forms for this pattern
Why: Spoken Cantonese differs substantially from Mandarin in vocabulary, pronunciation, and many grammatical structures.

Tone Errors on Function Words

Wrong: Pronouncing particles and grammatical markers with incorrect tones
Right: Verify tones using Jyutping for every new word, including function words
Why: Even small function words carry specific tones in Cantonese. Wrong tones on particles can change the meaning of the entire sentence.

Omitting Required Grammatical Elements

Wrong: Dropping particles or markers that seem unnecessary based on English
Right: Include all required elements as shown in the example patterns
Why: Cantonese particles carry essential grammatical information that cannot be inferred from context alone.

Usage Notes

This pattern is used across all registers of spoken Cantonese, from casual conversation to more careful speech. At the CEFR A1 (beginner) level, focus on the colloquial spoken forms, as these are what you will hear and need in daily life in Hong Kong, Guangdong, and Cantonese-speaking communities.

Cantonese distinguishes between spoken (口語) and written (書面語) forms. The patterns in this article represent spoken Cantonese. Formal written Cantonese may use different vocabulary derived from Standard Written Chinese. At this stage, spoken mastery is your priority.

In Hong Kong specifically, you will encounter this pattern dozens of times daily -- in shops, restaurants, on public transport, and in social interactions. The frequency of exposure will help reinforce the pattern naturally, but deliberate practice accelerates the process.

Practice Tips

Substitution drills: Take the example sentences and replace one element at a time with new vocabulary while keeping the grammar constant. This builds productive fluency efficiently.
Daily sentence creation: Create three original sentences each day using this pattern about your real life. Personal relevance makes practice more memorable.
Active listening: When watching Cantonese media, listen specifically for this pattern. Pause, repeat, and tally instances to build recognition speed.
Record and compare: Record yourself saying the example sentences and compare with native speaker recordings, focusing on tones, rhythm, and particle placement.