In the Grammar and Vocabulary section, you will learn:

• The Verbs 有 jau5 and 冇 mou5 (Existence) II
• Serial Verb Constructions IV (Subject)
• The Modal Verb 會 wui5 (‘will’) I (Future)
• The Modal Verb 要 jiu3 (‘to need to’) I
• Introduction to Verbal Particles
• The Verbal Particle 埋 maai4 I (‘as well’)
• Yes-No Questions with the X-not-X Constructions III (Action Verbs)
• Asking About Time with 幾多 gei2 do1
• The Pronoun 其他 kei4 taa1 (‘other’)
• Vocabulary List

In Grammar and Vocabulary 21.3, we learned that we can use 有 jau5 or 冇 mou5 to indicate something exists or doesn’t exist at a location.

We can also use 有 jau5 to indicate something exists at a specific time. It functions like there is/are in English here. We put the time before 有 jau5 and the thing after 有 jau5.

We can use 冇 mou5 similarly to indicate something doesn’t exist at a specific time. It functions like there is/are no in English here. We put the time before 冇 mou5 and the thing after 冇 mou5.

We can omit the time if it is obvious in the context.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 16.4, we learned this type of serial verb construction: the first verb phrase is formed by 有 jau5, 冇 mou5 or 有冇 jau5 mou5 and a noun, and the second verb phrase provides details about the noun. In Grammar and Vocabulary 18.2, we learned that the noun in the first verb phrase is sometimes the object of the activity in the second verb phrase.

The noun in the first verb phrase can also be the subject of the activity in the second verb phrase. We will see a few examples like this in this lesson.

The noun in the first verb phrase can also be a question word (e.g., 邊個 bin1 go3 ‘who’).

The modal verb 會 wui5 means ‘will’. We use it to indicate an activity will happen in the future. We put a verb for an activity after 會 wui5. Note that Hong Kong Cantonese speakers may sometimes pronounce 會 wui5 as wui3 because some sound changes are taking place in the tones.

We often use 會 wui5 with a time expression for the future. We put the time expression before 會 wui5.

We can optionally omit 會 wui5 when the sentence has a time expression for the future.

If we want to add a non-time-related adverb (e.g., 一齊 jat1 cai4 ‘together’), we usually put the adverb after 會 wui5.

In a serial verb construction, we can also add 會 wui5 if the activity happens in the future.

The modal verb 要 jiu3 means ‘to need to’. We use it to indicate we need to do an activity. We put a verb for an activity after 要 jiu3.

If we want to add a time expression, we put it before 要 jiu3.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 6.3, we learned that we can use aspect particles with verbs to indicate the status of an activity.

We can also use verbal particles with verbs to add additional meaning to a verb or a sentence. Compare the following sentences:

We put a verbal particle after the verb and before the object if there is one. In this book, we will use VP to indicate a verbal particle in English translations.

If the verb is a separable verb (e.g., 跳舞 tiu3 mou5 ‘to dance’), we insert a verbal particle between the first syllable (the verb part) and the second syllable (the object part).

Verbal particles and aspect particles may look very similar, but their functions are different. Aspect particles primarily indicate aspect (the status of the activity). Meanwhile, verbal particles add additional meaning to a verb or a sentence, such as ‘as well’ or ‘in advance’, as shown in the examples above.

The verbal particle 埋 maai4 can add the meaning of ‘as well’ to a sentence. We use it to indicate that someone or something is included in an activity additionally, or an activity is done additionally. Compare:

Add the verbal particle 埋 maai4 to each sentence. Then, check your answers and repeat after the recordings.

1.

不如你叫你老公吖。
bat1 jyu4 nei5 giu3 nei5 lou5 gung1 aa1.

2.

不如你彈琴吖。
bat1 jyu4 nei5 taan4 kam4 aa1.

3.

不如我哋去法國吖。
bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 heoi3 faat3 gwok3 aa1.

4.

不如你學韓文吖。
bat1 jyu4 nei5 hok6 hon4 man2 aa1.

5.

不如我哋燒嘢食吖。
bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 siu1 je5 sik6 aa1.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 18.3, we learned that when we use the X-not-X construction to form a yes-no question with an action verb, the question can perform different functions. For the first function, the question asks whether someone usually does an activity or not.

For the second function, the question asks whether the listener wants to do something. It is like questions beginning with do you want to in English (e.g., Do you want to go?). The question usually serves as an invitation. For this function, we usually end the question with the sentence particle 呀 aa3.

To answer the question, we can give a long answer or a short answer. We give a short answer more often. For negative answers, we usually use the sentence particle 喇 laa3 (See Grammar and Vocabulary 16.5).

We can also respond to the question with the expressions for accepting or rejecting invitations. We do so more often than using the answers above.

If the subject of the question includes the listener and ourselves, the question usually asks whether we should do something. It is like questions beginning with should we in English (e.g., Should we invite Jason as well?). The question usually serves as a suggestion.

We can respond to the question by accepting or rejecting the suggestion.

Note that besides the two functions we have covered, yes-no questions with the X-not-X construction of an action verb can also perform other functions, but we won’t examine them here.

In previous lessons, we have learned different time expressions (e.g., 二月 ji6 jyut6 ‘February’, 二十九號 ji6 sap6 gau2 hou6 ‘the 29th’). We can replace the number in these expressions with the question word 幾多 gei2 do1 to form question expressions for asking ‘what month, what day, etc.’. 幾多 gei2 do1 literally means ‘how many, how much’, but it means ‘what’ in this context. We can contract 幾多 gei2 do1 to 幾 gei2. Notice if 幾多 gei2 do1 appears at the end of the question expression, we always contract 幾多 gei2 do1 to 幾 gei2. For example, we only say 星期幾 sing1 kei4 gei2 but not 星期幾多 sing1 kei4 gei2 do1.

Note that 幾(多)日 gei2 (do1) jat6 means ‘how many days’ instead of ‘what day’.

We can combine 幾(多)月 gei2 (do1) jyut6 and 幾(多)號 gei2 (do1) hou6 to ask for the date.

We can add a time expression before a question expression to specify the time period. Notice we simply add 上個 soeng6 go3 (‘last’), 今個 gam1 go3 (‘this’), 下個 haa6 go3 (‘next’), etc. before 星期幾 sing1 kei4 gei2 or 禮拜幾 lai5 baai3 gei2.

The pronoun 其他 kei4 taa1 means ‘other’ (as in other people). We can put a noun after 其他 kei4 taa1 to mean ‘other …’.

In the Communication section, you will learn:

• Suggesting Inviting Other People to a Gathering
• Inviting Other People to a Gathering