Demonstratives in Cantonese

In Brief

Cantonese uses 呢 (ni1, “this”) for something near the speaker and 嗰 (go2, “that”) for something farther away. Before a noun, each demonstrative normally needs a classifier (a short word that groups or counts nouns): 呢本書 (ni1 bun2 syu1, “this book”), not simply 呢書. Use 呢度 (ni1 dou6) for “here” and 嗰度 (go2 dou6) for “there.”

Overview

Demonstratives are pointing words: they let you identify a person, object, place, or group as “this,” “that,” “here,” or “there.” They are among the most useful A1 forms in Cantonese. You will hear them while shopping, choosing food, introducing people, giving directions, and talking about objects around you.

English puts this or that directly before most nouns: “this phone,” “that bus.” Cantonese normally inserts a classifier between the demonstrative and the noun (a word for a person, place, thing, or idea). The basic order is therefore demonstrative + classifier + noun. Classifiers are sometimes called measure words; 個 (go3) is the common general classifier, but many nouns regularly use a more specific one.

The beginner system is pleasantly compact. Cantonese does not change the demonstrative for grammatical gender, and the same near/far contrast works with many classifiers. Once you know whether you mean “near” or “far” and choose the classifier, you can build a large number of useful phrases.

How It Works

The basic near–far contrast

Meaning	Cantonese	Jyutping	Typical use
this / these	呢	ni1	points to something treated as near
that / those	嗰	go2	points to something treated as farther away
here	呢度	ni1 dou6	a place near the speaker or the current place
there	嗰度	go2 dou6	a place away from the speaker

“Near” and “far” are not exact measurements. A speaker may use 呢 for something being held, shown, or discussed as the current focus. 嗰 can point to something across the room, previously identified, or mentally less immediate. Physical distance is the best beginner rule; context supplies the finer distinction.

Before a noun: demonstrative + classifier + noun

The core pattern is:

呢 / 嗰 + classifier + noun

Pattern	Example	Meaning
呢 + 個 + noun	呢個人 ni1 go3 jan4	this person
嗰 + 本 + noun	嗰本書 go2 bun2 syu1	that book
呢 + 架 + noun	呢架車 ni1 gaa2 ce1	this vehicle / car
嗰 + 隻 + noun	嗰隻貓 go2 zek3 maau1	that cat
呢 + 枝 + noun	呢枝筆 ni1 zi1 bat1	this pen

The classifier belongs with the noun, not with distance. Changing 呢 to 嗰 does not change the classifier: 呢本書 is “this book,” while 嗰本書 is “that book.”

個 is a useful general classifier and is conventional with many nouns, including people in ordinary contexts. However, it does not replace every specific classifier in careful, natural speech. Books commonly take 本, vehicles 架, and many animals 隻. Learning a noun together with its usual classifier makes demonstrative phrases much easier to produce.

“This one” and “that one”: leave the noun out

When the object is already obvious, the noun can be omitted. The demonstrative and classifier remain:

• 呢個 (ni1 go3) — this one
• 嗰個 (go2 go3) — that one
• 呢本 (ni1 bun2) — this one, referring to a book or similar bound item
• 嗰架 (go2 gaa2) — that one, referring to a vehicle

This is more informative than English one: the classifier can reveal what kind of object the speaker means. At a bookshop, 我要呢本 (ngo5 jiu3 ni1 bun2) means “I want this one,” with 本 showing that the choice is a book.

Do not confuse the two syllables in 嗰個: the first is the distal demonstrative 嗰 (go2, “that”), and the second is the classifier 個 (go3). They have different tones.

More than one: 呢啲 and 嗰啲

For a group or an unspecified amount, Cantonese commonly uses 啲 (di1):

• 呢啲書 (ni1 di1 syu1) — these books
• 嗰啲人 (go2 di1 jan4) — those people
• 呢啲 (ni1 di1) — these / these ones
• 嗰啲 (go2 di1) — those / those ones

啲 can refer to a plural set or an uncounted amount, depending on the noun: 呢啲水 (ni1 di1 seoi2) means “this water” or “some of this water,” not “these waters.” It does not state an exact number. If the number matters, use a numeral and an appropriate classifier instead.

Place words: 呢度 and 嗰度

For location, use 度 (dou6) after the demonstrative:

• 呢度 (ni1 dou6) — here; this place
• 嗰度 (go2 dou6) — there; that place

These place expressions do not take a classifier. They can appear after 喺 (hai2, “at/in”) to state location: 我喺呢度 (ngo5 hai2 ni1 dou6, “I’m here”). With a location verb such as 住 (zyu6, “live”), 喺 introduces the place: 你住喺嗰度？ (“Do you live there?”).

Asking and answering by pointing

Demonstratives often answer questions with 邊 (bin1, “which/where”):

• 邊個？ (bin1 go3?) — which one? / who?
• 邊本？ (bin1 bun2?) — which one? (which book?)
• 邊度？ (bin1 dou6?) — where?

The answer can keep the same classifier: 邊本？— 嗰本。 (“Which one?” — “That one.”) This makes classifier choice part of a natural question-and-answer pair.

Examples in Context

Cantonese	Jyutping	English	Note
呢個好靚。	ni1 go3 hou2 leng3.	This one is very beautiful.	The noun is understood.
嗰個幾錢？	go2 go3 gei2 cin2?	How much is that one?	Useful while shopping.
呢本書係我嘅。	ni1 bun2 syu1 hai6 ngo5 ge3.	This book is mine.	本 is the classifier for books.
我想買嗰架車。	ngo5 soeng2 maai5 go2 gaa2 ce1.	I want to buy that car.	架 is used for vehicles.
呢隻貓好得意。	ni1 zek3 maau1 hou2 dak1 ji3.	This cat is very cute.	隻 commonly classifies animals.
你識唔識嗰個人？	nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 go2 go3 jan4?	Do you know that person?	個 remains before 人.
呢啲蘋果好甜。	ni1 di1 ping4 gwo2 hou2 tim4.	These apples are very sweet.	啲 indicates a group.
嗰啲係你嘅咩？	go2 di1 hai6 nei5 ge3 me1?	Are those yours?	The noun is omitted.
你住喺呢度？	nei5 zyu6 hai2 ni1 dou6?	Do you live here?	呢度 refers to this place.
嗰度有乜嘢？	go2 dou6 jau5 mat1 je5?	What is over there?	嗰度 points to a farther place.
我喺呢度等你。	ngo5 hai2 ni1 dou6 dang2 nei5.	I’ll wait for you here.	喺 marks the location.
邊本係你嘅？嗰本。	bin1 bun2 hai6 nei5 ge3? go2 bun2.	Which one is yours? That one.	The classifier is retained in the answer.
唔該，我要呢個。	m4 goi1, ngo5 jiu3 ni1 go3.	Excuse me, I’d like this one.	A natural request at a shop or food counter.
嗰間餐廳好唔好食？	go2 gaan1 caan1 teng1 hou2 m4 hou2 sik6?	Is that restaurant good?	間 classifies rooms, shops, and similar premises.

Common Mistakes

Putting the demonstrative directly before a noun

• Wrong: 呢書 (ni1 syu1)
• Right: 呢本書 (ni1 bun2 syu1)
• Why: A classifier normally stands between a demonstrative and a countable noun. 本 is the usual classifier for books.

Adding 個 to every noun

• Less natural: 呢個書 (ni1 go3 syu1)
• Better: 呢本書 (ni1 bun2 syu1)
• Why: 個 is common and sometimes used broadly in casual speech, but standard noun–classifier pairings sound more natural. Learn 本書, 架車, and 隻貓 as units.

Reversing the word order

• Wrong: 本呢書 (bun2 ni1 syu1)
• Right: 呢本書 (ni1 bun2 syu1)
• Why: The fixed order is demonstrative first, then classifier, then noun.

Dropping the classifier when the noun is omitted

• Wrong: 我要呢。 (ngo5 jiu3 ni1.) for “I want this one.”
• Right: 我要呢個。 (ngo5 jiu3 ni1 go3.)
• Why: 呢 alone is not normally the complete equivalent of English this one. Keep an appropriate classifier even when the noun is understood.

Using a classifier with 呢度 or 嗰度

• Wrong: 呢個度 (ni1 go3 dou6) for “here”
• Right: 呢度 (ni1 dou6)
• Why: 度 already forms the place word with 呢 or 嗰. No extra classifier is needed.

Treating 呢個 and 嗰個 as single flat words

• Problem: Pronouncing both syllables of 嗰個 with the same tone.
• Right: 嗰個 is go2 go3.
• Why: It contains two grammatical parts: 嗰 go2 (“that”) plus 個 go3 (classifier). Tone is part of the word in Cantonese and can distinguish otherwise similar syllables.

Usage Notes

Spoken Cantonese and formal written Chinese

In everyday Cantonese, 呢, 嗰, 呢度, and 嗰度 are ordinary spoken forms and are also common in informal Cantonese writing, dialogue, messages, and subtitles that represent speech. In formal Standard Written Chinese, you may instead encounter 這/这 for “this,” 那 for “that,” and 這裡/这里, 那裡/那里 for “here” and “there.” Those written forms belong to a different register; replacing natural spoken Cantonese with Mandarin-style readings will not make ordinary conversation sound more formal—it will make it sound unlike normal Cantonese speech.

Distance depends on the speaker’s viewpoint

English and Cantonese both allow more than literal pointing. A speaker can use 呢 for the topic currently “in hand,” even if it is an idea rather than a nearby object: 呢個問題 (ni1 go3 man6 tai4, “this question/problem”). 嗰 can refer back to a person, event, or time already known to both speakers: 嗰日 (go2 jat6, “that day”). The listener identifies the reference through shared context.

Classifiers carry meaning

When the noun is omitted, classifier choice can prevent ambiguity. 呢本 suggests a book or another bound volume; 呢架 suggests a vehicle or machine; 呢間 suggests a room, shop, restaurant, or similar premises. English usually relies on context after this one, while Cantonese gives the listener an extra category clue.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master all of these points at A1, but you will hear and read them later.

呢邊 and 嗰邊

呢邊 (ni1 bin1) and 嗰邊 (go2 bin1) mean roughly “this side/around here” and “that side/over there.” They can indicate an area or direction rather than one precise spot:

• 你過嚟呢邊啦。 (nei5 gwo3 lai4 ni1 bin1 laa1.) — Come over this way.
• 洗手間喺嗰邊。 (sai2 sau2 gaan1 hai2 go2 bin1.) — The restroom is over there.

By contrast, 呢度/嗰度 often presents the reference as a place. In many everyday situations the meanings overlap, so focus first on recognizing both sets.

Time expressions

The same demonstratives combine with time nouns and their usual classifiers or units:

• 呢日 (ni1 jat6) — this day (in an identified sequence or context)
• 嗰日 (go2 jat6) — that day
• 呢個星期 (ni1 go3 sing1 kei4) — this week
• 嗰陣時 (go2 zan6 si4) — at that time / back then

English sometimes uses this for a time period that includes now, but the exact Cantonese expression depends on the time noun and idiomatic usage. Learn frequent time phrases as complete chunks rather than assuming every English phrase maps word for word.

Discourse reference

A demonstrative can refer to something just said, not only something visible. For example, 呢個方法 (ni1 go3 fong1 faat3, “this method”) may mean the method currently being explained, while 嗰個方法 can mean a previously mentioned or contrasting method. This is called discourse reference—using language to point within the conversation itself. The physical near/far rule develops into a contrast between the current focus and something more removed.

Practice Tips

1. Point and build the whole phrase. Choose five nearby objects and five farther ones. Say the demonstrative, correct classifier, and noun together: 呢本書, 嗰架車. Do not practise 呢 and 嗰 only in isolation.
2. Use classifier pairs. Ask yourself 邊本？ and answer 呢本 or 嗰本. Repeat with 個, 隻, 架, and 間 so that noun omission becomes automatic without losing the classifier.
3. Make a three-column card set. Write “near,” “far,” and “place/group” headings. Sort phrases such as 呢個, 嗰啲, 呢度, and 嗰邊, then say one original sentence for each. Record yourself and check especially the contrast between go2 in 嗰 and go3 in 個.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Classifiers (Measure Words) — classifiers are required in the central demonstrative pattern 呢/嗰 + classifier + noun.