41.4 The Modal Verb 會 wui5 (‘will’) III (Habit)

In Grammar and Vocabulary 23.3, we learned that we can use the modal verb 會 wui5 (‘will’) to indicate an activity will happen.

We can also use the modal verb 會 wui5 to talk about our habit. When we do so, we often use the sentence particle 嘅 ge3.

We can add an adverb of frequency before 會 wui5 to indicate how often we will do an activity.

To indicate we will do an activity as often as someone, we can add the adverb 都 dou1 (‘too’) before the adverb of frequency. Notice 嘅 ge3 becomes 㗎 gaa3 below because we add 呀 aa3 to emphasize that we have something in common (嘅 ge3 + 呀 aa3 → 㗎 gaa3).

We don’t usually add the 都 dou1 for emphasis after 通常 tung1 soeng4, 成日 seng4 jat6, 好多時 hou2 do1 si4 or 從來唔 cung4 loi4 m4 if we have already added 都 dou1 before these adverbs of frequency to mean ‘too’.

We can add 都 dou1 (‘too’) after 有時 jau5 si4 and 間中 gaan3 zung1 / 間唔中 gaan3 m4 zung1 to indicate we do another activity as well.

To ask whether someone has a habit of doing an activity, we can use 會 wui5 to form a yes-no question. We use the X-not-X construction to form the question. Notice X will be 會 wui5 instead of the verb behind it.

To answer the questions, we can give a long answer or a short answer. We give a short answer more often.

For positive answers, we often add how often we do the activity.

For negative answers, we can indicate that we rarely do the activity instead.