Talking About Children

1.   
你有冇仔女 / 小朋友㗎？
nei5jau5mou5zai2 neoi2 / siu2 pang4 jau5gaa3?
youhavenot haveson and daughter / childSP
Do you have children?
  • We usually use 小朋友 only when talking to someone whose children are likely to be young.
2. 
有呀。
jau5aa3.
haveSP
Yes.
3. 
冇呀。
mou5aa3.
not haveSP
No.
4. 
未有呀。
mei6jau5aa3.
not yethaveSP
Not yet.

If we are talking to someone younger, we can also ask this way:

5.   
你有冇生小朋友 / 仔女㗎？
nei5jau5mou5saang1siu2 pang4 jau5 / zai2 neoi2gaa3?
youhavenot havegive birth tochild / son and daughterSP
Do you give birth to children? [= Do you have children?]
6. 
你有冇生仔㗎？
nei5jau5mou5saang1 zai2gaa3?
youhavenot havegive birthSP
Do you give birth? [= Do you have children?]
  • 生仔 saang1 zai2 literally means ‘to give birth to + son’, but 生仔 saang1 zai2 in this context means to give birth to children who can be of any gender. If we want to be gender neutral, we can say 生仔女 saang1 zai2 neoi2 or 生小朋友 saang1 siu2 pang4 jau5.
7. 
有呀。
jau5aa3.
haveSP
Yes.
8. 
冇呀。
mou5aa3.
not haveSP
No.
9. 
未呀。
mei6aa3.
not yetSP
Not yet.

If the person doesn’t have children, we can ask if he or she plans to have any:

10.   
噉你有冇諗住
gam2nei5jau5mou5nam2 zyu6
thenyouhavenotplan
生仔女 / 小朋友呀？
saang1zai2 neoi2 / siu2 pang4 jau5aa3?
give birth toson and daughter / childSP
Then, do you plan to give birth to children?
[= Then, do you plan to have children?]
11. 
噉你有冇諗住生仔呀？
gam2nei5jau5mou5nam2 zyu6saang1 zai2aa3?
thenyouhavenotplangive birthSP
Then, do you plan to give birth to children?
[= Then, do you plan to have children?]
12. 
有呀，我哋計劃緊呀。
jau5aa3,ngo5 dei6gai3 waak6gan2aa3.
haveSPweplanAPSP
Yes, we are planning.
13. 
未呀，
mei6aa3,
not yetSP
我哋仲未諗住生小朋友呀。
ngo5 dei6zung6mei6nam2 zyu6saang1siu2 pang4 jau5aa3.
westillnot yetplangive birth tochildSP
Not yet, we still haven’t planned to give birth to children.
[= Not yet, we still haven’t planned to have children.]
14. 
冇呀，
mou5aa3,
not haveSP
我哋冇諗住生小朋友呀。
ngo5 dei6mou5nam2 zyu6saang1siu2 pang4 jau5aa3.
wenot haveplangive birth tochildSP
No, we don’t plan to give birth to children.
[= No, we don’t plan to have children.]

If the person has children, we can ask about his or her children:

15.   
噉你有幾多個仔女 / 小朋友㗎？
gam2nei5jau5gei2 do1go3zai2 neoi2 / siu2 pang4 jau5gaa3?
thenyouhavehow manyCLson and daughter / childSP
Then, how many children do you have?
16. 
我有一個女嘅。
ngo5jau5jat1go3neoi2ge3.
IhaveoneCLdaughterSP
I have one daughter.
17. 
我有三個仔嘅。
ngo5jau5saam1go3zai2ge3.
IhavethreeCLsonSP
I have three sons.
18. 
我有一個仔同一個女嘅。
ngo5jau5jat1go3zai2tung4jat1go3neoi2ge3.
IhaveoneCLsonandoneCLdaughterSP
I have one son and one daughter.
19.   
佢 / 佢哋幾多歲呀？
keoi5 / keoi5 dei6gei2 do1seoi3aa3?
he / she // theyhow manyyear oldSP
How old is he / she? // How old are they?
20.   
佢 / 佢哋幾大呀？
keoi5 / keoi5 dei6gei2 daai6aa3?
he / she // theyhow oldSP
How old is he / she? // How old are they?
21. 
佢十五歲。
keoi5sap6 ng5seoi3.
he / she15year old
He or she is 15 years old.
22.    
我個大仔就四歲，
ngo5go3daai6 zai2zau6sei3seoi3,
myCLoldest son[contrast]4year old
我個二仔就就快兩歲，
ngo5go3ji6 zai2zau6zau6 faai3loeng5seoi3,
myCLsecond son[contrast]soon2year old
我個細仔就差唔多四個月大。
ngo5go3sai3 zai2zau6caa1 m4 do1sei3go3jyut6daai6.
myCLyoungest son[contrast]almost4CLmonthold
My oldest son is 4 years old. My second son will be 2 years old soon.
My youngest son is almost 4 months old.
23.   
我個仔就讀緊小學五年班，
ngo5go3zai2zau6duk6gan2siu2 hok6ng5nin4 baan1,
myCLson[contrast]studyAPprimary school5grade
我個女就讀緊中一。
ngo5go3neoi2zau6duk6gan2zung1jat1.
myCLdaughter[contrast]studyAPsecondary1
My son is in Primary 5. My daughter is in Secondary 1.

If the person is older, we can ask whether his or her children are working or studying.

24.   
佢 / 佢哋做緊嘢定讀緊書㗎？
keoi5 / keoi5 dei6zou6gan2je5ding6duk6gan2syu1gaa3?
he / she // theyworkAP[work]orstudyAP[study]SP
Is he or she working or studying? // Are they working or studying?
25. 
佢做緊嘢喇。
keoi5zou6gan2je5laa3.
he / sheworkAP[work]SP
He or she is already working.
26.   
兩個就仲讀緊書嘅，
loeng5go3zau6zung6duk6gan2syu1ge3,
twoCL[contrast]stillstudyAP[study]SP
一個就做緊嘢喇。
jat1go3zau6zou6gan2je5laa3.
oneCL[contrast]workAP[work]SP
Two of them are still studying. One of them is already working.
27.   
我兩個女就仲讀緊書嘅，
ngo5loeng5go3neoi2zau6zung6duk6gan2syu1ge3,
mytwoCLdaughter[contrast]stillstudyAP[study]SP
我個仔就做緊嘢喇。
ngo5go3zai2zau6zou6gan2je5laa3.
myCLson[contrast]workAP[work]SP
My two daughters are still studying. My son is already working.
28. 
三個都做緊嘢喇。
saam1go3dou1zou6gan2je5laa3.
threeCLallworkAP[work]SP
All three of them are already working.