1.3 Verb Conjugation

In English, verbs conjugate, or change in their form, according to the subject of the sentence.

Subject
Verb
↓
↓
I
am
Billie.
Subject
Verb
↓
↓
He
is
Billy.
The verb be changes to am when the subject is I and changes to is when the subject is he.

In Cantonese, verbs don’t conjugate. A verb always has the same form, no matter what subject.

  1. 我係阿峰。
    ngo5 hai6 aa3 fung1.
    I am Fung [a name].

  2. 你係阿希？
    nei5 hai6 aa3 hei1?
    You (singular) are Hei [a unisex name]?

  3. 佢係Sarah。
    keoi5 hai6 Sarah.
    She is Sarah.

  4. 我哋係香港人。
    ngo5 dei6 hai6 hoeng1 gong2 jan4.
    We are Hong Kongers.

  5. 你哋係日本人？
    nei5 dei6 hai6 jat6 bun2 jan4?
    You (plural) are Japanese?

  6. 佢哋係法國人。
    keoi5 dei6 hai6 faat3 gwok3 jan4.
    They are French.

The verb 係 hai6 has the same form after all the personal pronouns.