Basic Question Patterns in Cantonese

Overview

Yes/no questions formed by A-唔-A pattern or adding 呀 aa3. Question words: 咩 me1 (what), 邊個 bin1 go3 (who), 邊度 bin1 dou6 (where), 幾時 gei2 si4 (when), 點解 dim2 gaai2 (why).

At the CEFR A1 (beginner) level, this concept -- known as 基本疑問句 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 question patterns 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

Two Question Strategies

Cantonese has two main ways to form questions, neither of which changes word order:

Strategy 1: A-not-A Pattern (for yes/no questions)

Place the verb/adjective alongside its negative form:

Pattern	Example	Meaning
V-唔-V	去唔去？	Going or not?
有冇	有冇錢？	Have money or not?
係唔係	係唔係你？	Is it you?
Adj-唔-Adj	好唔好？	Good or not?

Strategy 2: Question Words (for information questions)

Question words stay in the position where the answer would appear:

Word	Jyutping	Meaning
咩	me1	what
邊個	bin1 go3	who / which one
邊度	bin1 dou6	where
幾時	gei2 si4	when
點解	dim2 gaai2	why
幾多	gei2 do1	how many
點樣	dim2 joeng2	how

Question Word Position

Unlike English, question words do not move to the front. They occupy the same position as the answer:

• 你住喺邊度？(You live at where?) → 我住喺香港。(I live in Hong Kong.)

Examples in Context

Cantonese	Jyutping	English	Note
你去唔去？	--	Are you going? (A-not-A pattern)	core pattern
你食咗飯未呀？	--	Have you eaten yet?	core pattern
邊個嚟咗？	--	Who came?	core pattern
你喺邊度住？	--	Where do you live?	core pattern
呢個幾錢？	ni1 go3 gei2 cin2?	How much is this?	price question
點樣去？	dim2 joeng2 heoi3?	How to get there?	method question
做咩呀？	zou6 me1 aa3?	What are you doing?	casual question
你識唔識？	nei5 sik1 m4 sik1?	Do you know (how)?	A-not-A with 識
邊個話嘅？	bin1 go3 waa6 ge3?	Who said so?	source question
你幾歲？	nei5 gei2 seoi3?	How old are you?	age 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.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Personal Pronouns -- foundational concept that this topic builds upon