Temporal Clauses in Cantonese

In Brief

Cantonese links events in time with patterns such as 一…就 “as soon as,” …嘅時候 “when/while,” 直到…先至 “not until,” and 自從… “since.” The time clause normally comes before the event it frames, and the verbs do not change form for past or future: connectors, aspect markers, time expressions, and context establish the timeline.

Overview

A temporal clause, or time clause, is a group of words that locates one event in relation to another. It answers questions such as “When?”, “How soon afterward?”, “Up to what point?”, or “Since what event?” In 佢一返到屋企就瞓覺, for example, arriving home establishes the time for going to sleep.

At B1, these patterns let you describe more than a simple list of events. You can show that one event follows another immediately, set a past or future scene, delay an action until a condition is met, or describe a situation that began after a change and continues afterward. This builds on basic connectors such as 之前 “before,” 之後 “after,” and 跟住 “next.”

English speakers should not look for Cantonese equivalents of tense endings. Cantonese verbs do not conjugate: 嚟 can refer to coming in the past, present, or future. Instead, time words such as 琴日 “yesterday,” particles and aspect markers such as 咗 (a completed or newly established situation), and the relationship between the clauses tell you how to understand the events.

How It Works

一…就: as soon as one event happens

The paired pattern 一…就 (jat1…zau6) presents the first event as the trigger for the second:

subject + 一 + first verb phrase + 就 + second verb phrase

佢一返到屋企就瞓覺。
As soon as he gets home, he goes to sleep.

一 stands before the first action; 就 introduces the result that follows promptly or predictably. A verb phrase simply means the verb together with anything attached to it, such as its object or a result: 返到屋企 means “get home,” not merely “return.”

The subject need not be repeated when it is the same in both parts. If the two actions have different subjects, state each subject where it belongs:

我一打畀佢，佢就覆我。
As soon as I call him, he replies.

The first event often contains a result complement (a word after a verb showing its result), such as 到 in 返到 “arrive/get to” or 完 in 食完 “finish eating.” This makes the trigger point precise. Compare 一食飯就… “whenever/as soon as [someone] eats…” with 一食完飯就… “as soon as [someone] has finished eating…”.

Although English often uses a future form in the main clause, Cantonese needs no future verb ending:

你一到，我哋就出發。
As soon as you arrive, we’ll leave.

Depending on context, 一…就 can describe one occasion or a repeated tendency. 佢一飲咖啡就瞓唔着 means that whenever he drinks coffee, he cannot sleep.

…嘅時候: when or while

嘅時候 (ge3 si4 hau6) follows the event, state, or period that provides the time frame:

time-setting phrase or clause + 嘅時候 + main clause

你細個嘅時候住喺邊度？
Where did you live when you were young?

The material before 嘅時候 can be a state (細個, “young”), an activity (食飯, “eat/have a meal”), or a fuller clause (我第一次嚟香港, “I came to Hong Kong for the first time”). 嘅 links that material to 時候, literally treating it as “the time of…”.

This pattern does not by itself distinguish “when” from “while.” Aspect and meaning do that work:

• 我入去嘅時候，佢打緊電話。 “When I went in, she was on the phone.” 緊 marks an ongoing activity.
• 佢食完飯嘅時候，我已經走咗。 “By the time he had finished eating, I had already left.” 完 marks completion and 已經…咗 marks the earlier completed event.

In casual speech, 嗰陣時 or 嗰陣 (“at that time/when”) may be used where a particular period is already understood. It is related in meaning but is not a word-for-word replacement in every sentence.

直到…先至: not until

直到 (zik6 dou3) marks the endpoint of a period: “until” or “all the way until.” When the main event is deliberately delayed until that endpoint, Cantonese commonly uses 先 or 先至 (sin1 zi3), meaning “only then”:

直到 + endpoint clause + subject + 先(至) + main action

直到佢嚟，我先至走。
I won’t leave until he comes.

The Cantonese sentence is structured more literally as “Until he comes, only then do I leave.” This differs from English, which normally puts a negative in “I won’t leave.” Cantonese does not need 唔 here because 先至 already says that the action occurs only after the condition is reached.

The endpoint can also be a time or noun phrase:

我做到夜晚十一點先收工。
I didn’t finish work until 11 p.m.

In everyday conversation, 到…先 is often more natural than the fuller 直到…先至. The fuller pattern makes the boundary especially explicit.

For a state or activity that continues up to an endpoint, 一直…直到… is useful:

我一直等到佢返嚟。
I kept waiting until she came back.

Here there may be no separate delayed action requiring 先至. The focus is on the continuation of waiting, not on something beginning only afterward.

自從: since a starting event

自從 (zi6 cung4) introduces the event or change that establishes a starting point:

自從 + starting event + main situation afterward

自從搬咗屋，我成日搭地鐵。
Since moving house, I take the MTR all the time.

The starting event is commonly completed and may therefore contain 咗: 搬咗屋 “moved house,” 轉咗工 “changed jobs.” The main clause describes a result, habit, or situation valid after that event. Words such as 一直 “continuously,” 成日 “often/all the time,” 都 “throughout/also,” or 冇再 “have not again” can make that continuing relevance clear.

When the subject is shared and obvious, it can be omitted from the 自從 clause, as in 自從搬咗屋. With different subjects, name both:

自從個仔出世之後，佢哋少咗出街食飯。
Since their son was born, they have eaten out less often.

之後 after the starting event is possible and common, but not obligatory. 自從…之後 foregrounds the period following the change.

Core patterns at a glance

Relationship	Cantonese pattern	Main idea
Immediate trigger	一 + event A + 就 + event B	B follows A promptly or regularly
Time frame	event/state + 嘅時候 + main clause	the main event occurs when/while the frame applies
Delayed beginning	直到/到 + endpoint + 先(至) + action	the action happens only at that point
Continuing activity	一直 + activity + 到/直到 + endpoint	the activity lasts up to the endpoint
Starting point	自從 + starting event + later situation	the later situation holds from that event onward

Examples in Context

Cantonese	English	Note
佢一返到屋企就瞓覺。	As soon as he gets home, he goes to sleep.	返到 gives a precise arrival point.
我一見到佢就認得佢。	I recognized her as soon as I saw her.	One completed occasion.
細路一攰就會扭計。	Children get cranky whenever they are tired.	A repeated tendency; 會 marks the expected result.
你一到，我哋就出發。	As soon as you arrive, we’ll set off.	Future meaning comes from context.
你細個嘅時候住喺邊度？	Where did you live when you were young?	A state provides the past time frame.
我煮飯嘅時候，佢洗碗。	While I cook, he washes the dishes.	Two activities share a time frame.
我入房嘅時候，BB瞓緊覺。	When I entered the room, the baby was sleeping.	緊 marks the ongoing background action.
落大雨嘅時候，呢條路好易水浸。	When it rains heavily, this road floods easily.	A general recurring situation.
直到佢嚟，我先至走。	I won’t leave until she comes.	先至 means “only then.”
我到尋晚先收到你個訊息。	I didn’t receive your message until last night.	Colloquial 到…先….
佢一直做到十二點先收工。	He kept working until midnight before finishing.	Continuing action followed by its endpoint.
自從搬咗屋，我成日搭地鐵。	Since moving house, I take the MTR all the time.	A new habit after a completed change.
自從病咗之後，佢一直都冇飲酒。	Since getting ill, she hasn’t drunk alcohol.	一直都冇 stresses continuation of a negative state.
自從我哋識咗，佢幫咗我好多次。	Since we met, he has helped me many times.	Repeated events within the period since meeting.

Common Mistakes

Putting 就 in the wrong half of 一…就

• Wrong: 佢就一返到屋企瞓覺。
• Right: 佢一返到屋企就瞓覺。
• Why: 一 introduces the trigger; 就 introduces what follows from it. Learn the pair as a frame rather than translating each word separately.

Adding an unnecessary negative to 直到…先至

• Wrong: 直到佢嚟，我唔先至走。
• Right: 直到佢嚟，我先至走。
• Why: English says “I won’t leave until…,” but Cantonese frames this as “only then leave.” 先至 supplies the delayed meaning; 唔先至 is not the corresponding pattern.

Placing 嘅時候 before its time phrase

• Wrong: 嘅時候我細個，我住喺澳門。
• Right: 我細個嘅時候，我住喺澳門。
• Why: 嘅時候 follows the state or event that defines the time: literally, “the time when I was young.”

Treating 自從 as a completed “after” event

• Wrong for the intended meaning: 自從食完飯，我去咗超市。
• Better: 食完飯之後，我去咗超市。 “After eating, I went to the supermarket.”
• Why: 自從 normally opens a period extending from a past starting point to a later reference time. For a simple sequence of two completed events, use …之後.

Adding 咗 automatically to every past verb

• Awkward: 我細個咗嘅時候住咗喺廣州。
• Natural: 我細個嘅時候住喺廣州。
• Why: 咗 does not simply mean “past tense.” 細個 is a state, and 住喺廣州 describes the background situation; the time frame already places both in the past.

Usage Notes

Clause order and emphasis

Putting the time clause first is the safest and often the clearest order because it establishes the timeline before the main message. A short 嘅時候 phrase can also follow the main clause in conversation, particularly as an afterthought, but learners should first become comfortable with time frame + main clause.

A written comma often separates two full clauses. Spoken Cantonese relies more on rhythm and a slight pause; punctuation is not part of the spoken grammar.

先 and 先至

In these temporal patterns, 先 and 先至 both mean “only then.” 先至 is fuller and can add emphasis, while 先 is extremely common in ordinary speech. This 先 should not be confused with 首先 “first” or with English “first” in every context.

Spoken and formal choices

The patterns in this article are normal in spoken Cantonese. 直到 can sound more explicit or formal than simple 到, but it is not restricted to writing. In informal conversation you will often hear compact forms such as 到佢嚟先算啦 “Let’s deal with it when he comes / not until he comes.”

Written Standard Chinese may favor different wording or sentence rhythms. If your goal is spoken Cantonese, do not replace natural Cantonese forms merely because a Mandarin-based written form looks familiar.

Pronouns and context

Cantonese frequently omits a subject that listeners can recover. In 自從搬咗屋，我成日搭地鐵, the mover is understood as 我. Keep the subject when omission could suggest that the wrong person performed the action.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

一…就 can suggest more than speed

The basic meaning is immediate sequence, but context can add a speaker’s attitude. In 佢一放假就去旅行, the pattern may mean “Whenever he gets time off, he travels,” presenting a strong habit. With an unwanted result, it can sound mildly critical: 你一見減價就買嘢 “You buy things whenever you see a sale.” The grammar itself is neutral; the vocabulary and situation create the judgment.

Do not confuse this pattern with 一…就… expressions in which 一 quantifies a duration or amount, such as 一等就等咗兩個鐘 “Once I started waiting, I ended up waiting for two hours.” This advanced pattern highlights the unexpectedly long amount that followed.

Choosing between 嘅時候 and 一…就

These are not interchangeable. 嘅時候 merely establishes a time frame and allows overlap: 我做功課嘅時候聽歌 “I listen to music while doing homework.” 一…就 presents a trigger and a prompt or regular consequence: 我一做完功課就聽歌 “As soon as I finish my homework, I listen to music.” Use the connector that reflects the real relationship between the events.

Different meanings of “until”

English “until” covers two useful Cantonese structures:

• 一直等到佢嚟: keep waiting up to the time she arrives — continuation.
• 到佢嚟先走: leave only when she arrives — delayed beginning.

The distinction is between an action that continues up to the boundary and an action that starts at the boundary. Cantonese often states that distinction more visibly than English does.

Reference time with 自從

The endpoint of a 自從 period is often “now,” but it can be another past point if the surrounding story makes that clear. A later reference point may be stated explicitly. What remains constant is the perspective: the clause introduced by 自從 opens a period, and the main clause says what held or happened during that period.

Practice Tips

1. Build four-part timelines. Choose one everyday change—moving, changing jobs, meeting someone—and make one sentence each with 一…就, 嘅時候, 直到…先, and 自從. Check whether each pattern expresses a trigger, frame, endpoint, or starting point.
2. Listen for the paired words. In Cantonese audio, pause when you hear 一 and predict a later 就; when you hear 直到 or 到, listen for 先. This trains you to process the whole structure rather than isolated vocabulary.
3. Vary aspect instead of adding 咗 everywhere. Retell the same event using 緊 for an action in progress, 完/到 for a result, and no marker for a habit or state. Say why each choice fits the timeline.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Temporal Connectors — introduces basic ways to say “before,” “after,” “when,” and “next.”