Basic Adverbs in Cantonese

In Brief

Cantonese adverbs such as 都 dou1 “also/all,” 就 zau6 “then/right away,” 先 sin1 “first,” 再 zoi3 “again/then,” 仲 zung6 “still/even more,” and 已經 ji5 ging1 “already” normally go before the verb or verb phrase: 我已經食咗 “I have already eaten.” Unlike English, moving one of these words to the end is usually not possible, although 先 has an important conversational sentence-final use.

Overview

Adverbs are words that add information such as “already,” “still,” “also,” or “first” to an action or state. In Cantonese, the basic position is pleasantly regular: the subject (the person or thing being discussed) usually comes first, then the adverb, then the verb or adjective-like predicate. A predicate is simply the part that says what the subject does or is like.

This is an A1 topic because these short words appear constantly in ordinary conversation. They let you connect events, show their order, and relate new information to what has already been said. Cantonese verbs do not change their endings for person or tense, so words such as 已經 and 仲 carry much of the timing and viewpoint that English may express through verb forms such as “has done” or “is still doing.”

The six adverbs are not interchangeable translations of English words. For example, English “then” may be 就 when something follows promptly or as a consequence, but 再 when one action is to happen after another. Learning each word as part of a sentence pattern is therefore more reliable than memorizing a one-word gloss.

How It Works

The beginner word-order rule

The most useful starting pattern is:

subject + adverb + verb or predicate + object/complement

• 我都鍾意。 Ngo5 dou1 zung1 ji3. — I like it too.
• 佢仲未返嚟。 Keoi5 zung6 mei6 faan1 lai4. — He or she still has not come back.
• 我已經做咗。 Ngo5 ji5 ging1 zou6 zo2. — I have already done it.

A verb phrase consists of the verb together with what belongs to it, such as an object: 食飯 “eat a meal.” Put the adverb before the whole phrase: 先食飯, not between 食 and 飯.

The six core adverbs

Adverb	Jyutping	Core idea	Basic pattern
都	dou1	also; both/all	subject/topic + 都 + predicate
就	zau6	then; promptly; as a result	condition/event + 就 + result
先	sin1	first; before another action	subject + 先 + action
再	zoi3	again later; then, as a next step	再 + future/next action
仲	zung6	still; in addition; even more	仲 + predicate; 仲未 + verb
已經	ji5 ging1	already, by now	已經 + predicate, often with 咗

都: “also” and “all”

With one person as the subject, 都 commonly means “also” or “too”:

• 我都去。 — I am going too.

With a plural subject or a group, it often means “all” or “both”:

• 我哋都去。 — We are all going.
• 阿明同阿美都識講廣東話。 — Ah Ming and Ah Mei both speak Cantonese.

Its position helps show its scope—that is, which part of the sentence it applies to. Place the people or things included by “all/both” before 都. At A1, use 都 only when the intended group is already clear from the subject or context.

就: a prompt or expected next step

就 presents something as following promptly, naturally, or as a result. It often corresponds to “then,” “right away,” or “in that case,” depending on context:

• 我食完飯就返工。 — I go back to work as soon as I finish eating.
• 你想去，我就陪你去。 — If you want to go, then I will go with you.

Do not expect one fixed English translation in every sentence. The stable idea is a close link: once the first condition or event is in place, the result follows.

先: do this first

Before a verb, 先 marks the action that should happen first:

• 你先食。 — You eat first.
• 我哋先買飛，再入場。 — We will buy tickets first, then go in.

Spoken Cantonese also commonly puts 先 after an action: 我走先 “I’m leaving first / I’ll get going now.” This is a real and frequent exception, explained under Usage Notes. The preverbal pattern is still the safest general rule for beginners.

再: again later, or next

再 points forward to a repeated or subsequent action. It is useful for plans, instructions, and sequences:

• 聽日再講。 — Let’s talk about it again tomorrow.
• 食完飯再做。 — Do it after eating.

In 先……再……, the two words create an ordered pair: first A, then B. English uses “again” for both past and future repetition, but Cantonese normally uses 再 for repetition that has not happened yet. Past repetition is often expressed with 又 jau6; that contrast belongs beyond the basic rule.

仲: still, additionally, or even more

仲 says that a situation continues or that there is something additional:

• 佢仲喺度。 — He or she is still here.
• 我仲想食。 — I still want to eat / I want some more.

For “still not,” use the very common cluster 仲未 before the verb:

• 架巴士仲未到。 — The bus still has not arrived.

Here 未 mei6 means “not yet.” Keep 仲未 together and before the action.

已經: already

已經 marks a situation as true by a relevant time: “already” or “by now.” Completed actions often also take 咗 zo2, an aspect marker (a small word showing how an action is viewed, here as completed):

• 我已經買咗飛。 — I have already bought the ticket.

已經 itself does not automatically mean that an action is completed. It can also introduce a continuing state:

• 我已經喺香港住咗兩年。 — I have already lived in Hong Kong for two years.
• 佢已經好返好多。 — He or she is already much better.

The basic placement remains 已經 + predicate. When 咗 marks the completed verb, it normally follows that verb or its object according to the wider sentence pattern; do not place it directly after 已經.

When two adverbs appear together

Short adverbs can form common clusters. Learn these as whole patterns rather than inventing an order word by word:

• 仲未 + verb — still have not done
• 已經 + verb + 咗 — have already done
• 都仲 + predicate — all/also still …
• 先 + action A，再 + action B — first A, then B

For example, 佢哋都仲未到 means “They still have not arrived” or, more explicitly, “None of them has arrived yet.” 都 relates to the group 佢哋, while 仲未 describes the continuing non-arrival.

Examples in Context

Cantonese	Jyutping	English	Note
我都鍾意。	ngo5 dou1 zung1 ji3	I like it too.	都 adds the speaker to an understood group.
佢哋都識游水。	keoi5 dei6 dou1 sik1 jau4 seoi2	They can all swim.	A plural subject gives 都 the sense “all.”
你到咗，我就落嚟。	nei5 dou3 zo2, ngo5 zau6 lok6 lai4	When you arrive, I’ll come down.	The second event follows promptly.
如果落雨，我哋就唔去。	jyu4 gwo2 lok6 jyu5, ngo5 dei6 zau6 m4 heoi3	If it rains, then we won’t go.	就 introduces the result.
你先食。	nei5 sin1 sik6	You eat first.	先 comes before the action.
我哋先飲咖啡，再去行街。	ngo5 dei6 sin1 jam2 gaa3 fe1, zoi3 heoi3 haang4 gaai1	Let’s drink coffee first, then go shopping.	A clear 先……再…… sequence.
呢份表填好，再交畀我。	ni1 fan6 biu2 tin4 hou2, zoi3 gaau1 bei2 ngo5	Fill in this form, then give it to me.	再 marks the next instruction.
今日冇時間，聽日再做。	gam1 jat6 mou5 si4 gaan3, ting1 jat6 zoi3 zou6	There’s no time today; do it tomorrow instead.	再 points to a later attempt.
佢仲喺公司。	keoi5 zung6 hai2 gung1 si1	He/She is still at the office.	A situation continues.
我仲想飲杯茶。	ngo5 zung6 soeng2 jam2 bui1 caa4	I’d still like a cup of tea.	仲 adds a further wish.
佢仲未返嚟。	keoi5 zung6 mei6 faan1 lai4	He/She still hasn’t come back.	仲未 means “still not yet.”
我已經做咗。	ngo5 ji5 ging1 zou6 zo2	I’ve already done it.	已經 combines naturally with completed 咗.
間舖頭已經閂咗門。	gaan1 pou3 tau2 ji5 ging1 saan1 zo2 mun4	The shop has already closed.	The event is complete by now.
我已經知道喇。	ngo5 ji5 ging1 zi1 dou6 laa3	I already know.	已經 can describe a present state.
我走先，聽日再見。	ngo5 zau2 sin1, ting1 jat6 zoi3 gin3	I’ll get going; see you tomorrow.	Conversational sentence-final 先.

Common Mistakes

Putting the adverb after the verb like English “too”

• Wrong: 我鍾意都。
• Right: 我都鍾意。
• Why: English can place “too” at the end, but Cantonese 都 normally stands before the predicate. Do not copy English placement.

Using 再 for an action repeated in the past

• Wrong: 佢琴日再打電話畀我。 (intended: “He called me again yesterday.”)
• Right: 佢琴日又打電話畀我。
• Why: 再 normally points forward to a later repetition. 又 jau6 commonly describes something that happened again or recurs as a fact. Beginners can remember 聽日再打 “call again tomorrow” versus 琴日又打咗 “called again yesterday.”

Treating 已經 as a replacement for 咗

• Wrong: 我已經咗做。
• Right: 我已經做咗。
• Why: 已經 goes before the verb; the completion marker 咗 does not go directly after it. The two have different jobs and often occur together.

Splitting 仲未 or placing it after the action

• Wrong: 佢未返嚟仲。
• Right: 佢仲未返嚟。
• Why: Use 仲未 + verb as the standard order for “still has not ….”

Using 就 for every English “then”

• Wrong: 我先沖涼，就瞓覺。 (when simply listing planned steps)
• Better: 我先沖涼，再瞓覺。
• Why: In a deliberate “first A, then B” sequence, 先……再…… is the clearest pair. 就 emphasizes that B follows promptly, naturally, or as a result, so it can be possible in another context but changes the viewpoint.

Assuming 都 always means “also”

• Misread: 我哋都去 = “We also go” only.
• Usual reading: 我哋都去。 — We are all going.
• Why: With a plural or coordinated subject, 都 often includes every member: “all” or “both.” Context can still support “also,” so check what group has already been mentioned.

Usage Notes

Spoken forms and written choices

The examples use everyday written Cantonese, which represents normal Cantonese speech with characters such as 佢, 唔, and 咗. In formal Standard Written Chinese, you may encounter different vocabulary and sentence choices. For learning spoken Cantonese, copy the conversational patterns here rather than replacing them with Mandarin-based readings.

Jyutping tone numbers are part of the pronunciation: 都 dou1, 就 zau6, 先 sin1, 再 zoi3, 仲 zung6, and 已經 ji5 ging1. Several are unstressed in fast speech, but their tones and positions still distinguish them.

Sentence-final 先

Although the core rule puts adverbs before predicates, conversational 先 frequently follows a verb phrase. It means doing something first, for now, or before other people or actions:

• 你食先。 — You eat first.
• 我走先。 — I’ll leave first / I’m off now.
• 等我諗下先。 — Let me think first.

Both 你先食 and 你食先 can mean “You eat first.” The preverbal version more directly contrasts who or what comes first; the final version is especially natural as a conversational instruction or when postponing the next step. You do not need to master this distinction immediately, but you should recognize both orders.

Adverbs before stative predicates

Cantonese often uses words equivalent to English adjectives directly as predicates: 忙 “be busy,” 攰 “be tired,” 好 “be good.” The same adverb rule applies even though an English translation uses “be”:

• 佢仲忙。 — He or she is still busy.
• 而家已經好夜。 — It is already very late now.

Do not insert 係 hai6 merely because English has “is.” 係 identifies one thing as another; it is not a general linking verb before every adjective.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to produce all of these patterns at A1, but they explain many uses you will hear later.

都 has a much wider range than “also.” After question words it can create an unrestricted meaning: 邊個都得 “anyone is fine,” 咩都食 “eat anything,” and 邊度都多人 “everywhere is crowded.” It also appears in concessive patterns—patterns meaning that something remains true despite an obstacle—such as 點都要去 “must go no matter what.” With 連……都……, it means “even”: 連佢都識 “even he/she knows.” These uses require careful attention to what appears before 都.

就 can mark more than speed. It may present a result as expected, narrow a contrast, or emphasize “precisely/only” in context. Compare 我再睇 “I’ll watch/read it again later” with 我就睇 “as for me, I’ll watch/read it” or “then I’ll watch/read it,” depending on what was said. Intonation and the preceding clause matter, so avoid assigning 就 one rigid English meaning.

仲 can mean “even more” in comparisons: 今日仲凍 “Today is even colder.” It can also add another fact: 佢識英文，仲識日文 “He/She knows English and also knows Japanese.” In negative timing, compare 仲未 “still not yet” with plain 未 “not yet”: 仲 highlights that the expected change continues not to happen.

Finally, 已經……喇 often announces that a new state has now been reached: 十二點喇 “It’s twelve now” and 已經十二點喇 “It’s already twelve.” Sentence particles such as 喇 express the speaker’s attitude or the current conversational state; they do not replace the adverb. This interaction becomes important as you learn Cantonese aspect and sentence-final particles.

Practice Tips

1. Build six sentence frames. Keep one reusable frame for each adverb, such as 我都___, 如果___，我就___, 先___，再___, 仲未___, and 已經___咗. Replace only the verb phrase until the order feels automatic.
2. Tell a two-step routine. Describe making tea, leaving home, or starting work with 先……再……. Then retell it with 就 where the second event follows immediately, and notice the change in emphasis.
3. Listen for clusters, not isolated words. In short Cantonese clips, mark every 仲未, 已經……咗, and sentence-final 先. Shadow the entire phrase aloud with Jyutping tones rather than drilling the adverb alone.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Verbs and Word Order — establishes the subject–verb–object pattern that these adverbs modify.
• Next step: Frequency and Manner Adverbs — adds expressions such as “sometimes,” “rarely,” and “slowly.”
• Later development: 都 as Universal Quantifier and Concessive — explores meanings such as “anything,” “everywhere,” and “no matter what.”
• Advanced connection: Emphatic and Intensifying Patterns — develops 連……都, 點都, and other forms of emphasis.