Temporal Connectors in Cantonese

In Brief

Cantonese usually puts the event that acts as a time reference before its connector: 食飯嘅時候 “when eating,” 出門之前 “before going out,” and 做完功課之後 “after finishing homework.” Use 跟住 to move a sequence forward (“then/next”), and 一路 for an action that continues over time or accompanies another ongoing action.

Overview

Temporal connectors show how two events are related in time: one happens when, before, or after another, or one event follows the next. They let you move beyond a list of short statements and tell a clear story: “I finished work, then went home,” or “Call me before you leave.” This is a core A2 skill in Cantonese.

The most useful beginner pattern is time-setting phrase + main event. A time-setting phrase tells the listener when the main event happens. In 我返到屋企之後就沖涼, the phrase 我返到屋企之後 sets the time, and 就沖涼 gives the next event. Cantonese does not change the verb itself for tense; words such as 之前 and 之後, context, and aspect markers help establish the timeline.

English uses separate words before a clause: “before I leave,” “after she arrives,” and “when we eat.” Cantonese commonly builds these expressions in the opposite order: 我走之前 (literally “I leave—before”), 佢到咗之後 (“she arrived—after”), and 我哋食飯嘅時候 (“we eat—’s time”). Learning each connector as part of a complete pattern is therefore more reliable than translating one word at a time.

How It Works

The core patterns

Meaning	Cantonese pattern	Example phrase	Jyutping
when; while	event/state + 嘅時候	食飯嘅時候	sik6 faan6 ge3 si4 hau6
before	event/time + 之前	出門之前	ceot1 mun4 zi1 cin4
after	event/time + 之後	放工之後	fong3 gung1 zi1 hau6
then; next	跟住 + next event	跟住返屋企	gan1 zyu6 faan1 uk1 kei2
continuously; while	一路 + ongoing action	一路行一路傾	jat1 lou6 haang4 jat1 lou6 king1

Here, an event clause simply means a group of words that describes an event, such as 佢返到屋企 “she gets home.” Unlike English before and after, 之前 and 之後 follow that event clause.

嘅時候: “when” or “while”

Use this structure for the time during which something is true or happens:

event or state + 嘅時候 + main event

• 食飯嘅時候唔好講嘢。 — Don’t talk while eating.
• 我細個嘅時候住喺澳門。 — When I was little, I lived in Macao.

嘅 links the preceding description to 時候 “time/occasion.” The phrase can contain a subject: 你嚟嘅時候 “when you come.” It can also be short when the subject is understood: 瞓覺嘅時候 “when sleeping.”

The time phrase often comes first because it establishes the setting. It can also come after the main event: 我瞓覺嘅時候唔睇電話。 In both positions, the relationship remains clear.

之前: “before”

Put 之前 after the event that serves as the deadline or reference point:

reference event + 之前 + main event

• 出門之前記得鎖門。 — Remember to lock up before going out.
• 食飯之前要洗手。 — Wash your hands before eating.

The event with 之前 has not necessarily happened yet. It identifies the later boundary, while the main event happens earlier. 之前 may also follow a time or noun phrase: 三點之前 “before three o’clock,” 個會之前 “before the meeting.”

之後: “after”

Put 之後 after the reference event; the main event follows it:

reference event + 之後 + main event

• 做完功課之後先至去玩。 — Only play after finishing your homework.
• 落堂之後我哋去飲嘢。 — After class, we’ll go for a drink.

完 marks an action as finished. It is common before 之後 when completion matters: 做完功課之後 “after finishing the homework.” However, 完 is not built into the connector and is not always required: 放工之後 “after work” and 佢嚟咗之後 “after she came” are complete without it.

Two words often make the sequence more explicit:

• 就 presents the next result or prompt action: 食完飯之後就走。 — Leave after eating.
• 先至 means “only then”: 做完先至走。 — Leave only after finishing.

跟住: “then,” “next,” or “following”

跟住 is especially common in conversation, instructions, and storytelling. At the start of a clause, it advances to the next step:

event A，跟住 + event B

• 我去咗銀行，跟住去買餸。 — I went to the bank, then went grocery shopping.
• 跟住點做？ — What do we do next?

Do not confuse this use with the verb 跟住, which can mean “follow”: 跟住我行 “follow me.” Context and position normally make the meaning clear.

一路: an action continuing through time

一路 highlights continuity. With one verb phrase, it can mean “all the way” or “continuously”:

• 佢一路行返屋企。 — He walked all the way home.
• 個細路一路喊。 — The child kept crying.

The paired pattern 一路 A，一路 B presents two ongoing actions at the same time:

一路 + action A + 一路 + action B

• 我哋一路行一路傾。 — We chatted while walking.
• 佢一路食一路睇電視。 — She watched television while eating.

This is narrower than English while. Use it when the actions genuinely continue or overlap. For a general time setting, 嘅時候 is safer: 我做功課嘅時候，佢打電話嚟。 “She called while I was doing homework.” The phone call is a single event, not necessarily an action continuing alongside the homework.

Subjects and shared information

When both clauses have the same subject (the person or thing doing the action), Cantonese usually states it only once if the meaning is obvious:

• 我食完飯之後就返工。 — After I eat, I’ll go back to work.

When the subjects differ, state both:

• 我返到屋企之後，阿媽先至食飯。 — Mum only eats after I get home.

A comma is helpful in writing after a longer time phrase, but speech relies mainly on rhythm and context.

Examples in Context

Cantonese	Jyutping	English	Note
食飯嘅時候唔好講嘢。	sik6 faan6 ge3 si4 hau6 m4 hou2 gong2 je5.	Don’t talk while eating.	General time setting
你嚟嘅時候打電話畀我。	nei5 lai4 ge3 si4 hau6 daa2 din6 waa2 bei2 ngo5.	Call me when you come.	The subject of 嚟 is explicit
我細個嘅時候成日去游水。	ngo5 sai3 go3 ge3 si4 hau6 seng4 jat6 heoi3 jau4 seoi2.	When I was little, I often went swimming.	嘅時候 after a state
出門之前記得鎖門。	ceot1 mun4 zi1 cin4 gei3 dak1 so2 mun4.	Remember to lock up before going out.	The reminder concerns an earlier action
十點之前要返到屋企。	sap6 dim2 zi1 cin4 jiu3 faan1 dou3 uk1 kei2.	You have to be home before ten.	之前 after a clock time
睇戲之前，我哋食啲嘢先啦。	tai2 hei3 zi1 cin4, ngo5 dei6 sik6 di1 je5 sin1 laa1.	Before the film, let’s eat something first.	先 marks what is done first
做完功課之後先至去玩。	zou6 jyun4 gung1 fo3 zi1 hau6 sin1 zi3 heoi3 waan2.	Only play after finishing your homework.	完 emphasizes completion
落堂之後我哋去飲咖啡。	lok6 tong4 zi1 hau6 ngo5 dei6 heoi3 jam2 gaa3 fe1.	After class, we’re going for coffee.	之後 after an event noun
佢返到屋企之後就沖涼。	keoi5 faan1 dou3 uk1 kei2 zi1 hau6 zau6 cung1 loeng4.	She takes a shower after getting home.	就 introduces the next event
我買咗飛，跟住訂酒店。	ngo5 maai5 zo2 fei1, gan1 zyu6 deng6 zau2 dim3.	I bought the tickets and then booked a hotel.	Spoken sequence
跟住點做？	gan1 zyu6 dim2 zou6?	What do we do next?	Common in instructions
你跟住我行，唔好行失。	nei5 gan1 zyu6 ngo5 haang4, m4 hou2 haang4 sat1.	Follow me; don’t get lost.	Here 跟住 means “follow”
我哋一路行一路傾。	ngo5 dei6 jat1 lou6 haang4 jat1 lou6 king1.	We chatted while walking.	Two continuing actions
出面一路落雨。	ceot1 min6 jat1 lou6 lok6 jyu5.	It kept raining outside.	One continuous situation

Common Mistakes

Putting 之前 or 之後 before the reference event

• Wrong: 之前出門記得鎖門。 (intended: “Before going out, remember to lock up.”)
• Right: 出門之前記得鎖門。
• Why: The reference event normally comes first: 出門 + 之前. Sentence-initial 之前 can mean “previously,” but that is a different structure and meaning.

Copying English word order with 嘅時候

• Wrong: 嘅時候我食飯唔好打電話。
• Right: 我食飯嘅時候唔好打電話畀我。
• Why: The event described by “when” goes before 嘅時候. Include a subject where needed to make clear whose action it is.

Treating 完 and 之後 as interchangeable

• Wrong: 我做功課完去玩。
• Right: 我做完功課之後去玩。
• Why: 完 follows the verb and marks completion: 做完 “finish doing.” 之後 follows the whole reference phrase and means “after.” They can work together, but they do different jobs.

Using 一路 for every English “while”

• Awkward: 我一路做功課，佢打電話嚟。
• Natural: 我做功課嘅時候，佢打電話嚟。
• Why: 一路 suggests continuity. A single interrupting event such as a phone call is more naturally located with 嘅時候.

Forgetting a second subject when the actors differ

• Unclear: 我返到屋企之後先至食飯。
• Clear: 我返到屋企之後，阿媽先至食飯。
• Why: Without 阿媽, listeners naturally assume that 我 performs both actions. Name the new subject when the actor changes.

Usage Notes

跟住 is strongly associated with everyday speech and is natural for giving directions, recipes, and personal stories. In more formal writing, a writer may prefer connectors such as 然後 (jin4 hau6, “then”) or organize the sequence more explicitly. Learners should nevertheless recognize 跟住 early because it is extremely useful in conversation.

之後 and 之前 work after actions, states, clock times, and event nouns. They can also stand alone when the reference is already known: 之後我冇再見過佢 “After that, I never saw her again.” In that use, English “afterwards” is often the best translation.

In casual speech, speakers may shorten 嘅時候 to 嗰陣時 (go2 zan6 si4) in suitable contexts, especially for “at that time/when.” The two overlap but are not mechanically interchangeable: 嗰陣時 points more directly to a particular period already understood, while 嘅時候 attaches productively to a description of an event or state.

Written Chinese varies by register. Forms such as 當…時 may appear in formal writing, but they are not the best default for ordinary spoken Cantonese. For an A2 learner, the five patterns in this article provide a practical spoken foundation.

Beyond the Basics

You do not need to master the following contrasts yet, but they explain combinations you will hear later.

Cantonese often pairs a time phrase with 就 or 先至. These are not merely decorative. 就 presents something as following readily or promptly, while 先至 presents it as happening only after a condition or boundary is met:

• 佢返到嚟我就走。 — I’ll leave when/as soon as she gets back.
• 佢返到嚟我先至走。 — I won’t leave until she gets back; only then will I leave.

More advanced temporal clauses sharpen the relationship further. 一…就… means “as soon as,” 直到…先至… means “not until,” and 自從… establishes a starting point that continues to matter. These belong to the next stage because they express not just order, but immediacy, a limiting endpoint, or duration from a starting point.

The position of a time phrase can also shape emphasis. Putting it first establishes a topic or scene: 放工之後，我去咗搵朋友。 Putting it later can keep the main action prominent: 我放工之後去咗搵朋友。 Both can be grammatical; speakers choose based on what is already known and what they want to highlight.

Finally, an English translation may hide aspect. Compare 食飯之後 “after eating/a meal” with 食完飯之後 “after finishing the meal.” The completion marker 完 matters when the later action must wait until the first is fully complete. As your Cantonese develops, pay attention to both the connector and markers such as 咗, 完, and 到 inside its reference clause.

Practice Tips

1. Build two-event chains. Choose daily actions and say them in both orders: 沖涼之前食飯 “eat before showering” versus 沖涼之後食飯 “eat after showering.” This makes the post-position of 之前/之後 automatic.
2. Narrate a routine with 跟住. Describe five steps from getting up to leaving home. Repeat 跟住 at first, then replace some repetitions with 之前, 之後, or 嘅時候.
3. Listen for continuity. When you hear 一路, ask whether it means “continuously/all the way” or links two ongoing actions. Copy the whole phrase rather than memorizing 一路 as a general translation of “while.”

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Conjunctions — introduces essential words for joining ideas before you organize them in time.
• Next step: Temporal Clauses — develops patterns such as 一…就, 直到, and 自從 for more precise time relationships.