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 male 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.