Grammar & Adverbials

then (consequently)

zau6 (same word as zau6 hai6)

non-/anti- (prefix)

fei1

fei1 faat3 = illegal (lit. “anti law”)

mou4

mou4 zi1 = unknown

mou4 meng4 = nameless / anonymous

-expert (suffix)

gaa1

ngai6 seot6 gaa1 = artist

fo1 hok6 gaa1 = scientist

-er (suffix)

ze2

gei3 ze2 = journalist (lit. record-er)

hok6 ze2 = scholar

-ity/-ness (suffix)

sing3

zung6 jiu3 sing3 = importance (lit. importantness)

-able (suffix)

ho2 (used as a prefix)

ho2 nang4 = possible/maybe (lit. “can ability”)

ho2 kaau3 = reliable (lit. “can to rely on")

-ism (ideology suffix)

zyu2 ji3

jyun4 mei5 zyu2 ji3 = perfectionism

gung6 caan2 zyu2 ji3 = communism (lit. public property -ism)

firstly

sau2 sin1

busy/have time

m4 dak1 haang4 = I have no time/I'm busy

dak1 m4 dak1 haang4 = are you free?

all (whole category, i.e “everything”)

so2 jau5

childhood/when you were a child

sai3 go3 go2 zan6

rarely

hou2 siu2

before

zi1 cin4

after

zi1 hau6

recently

zeoi3 gan6

even (comparative)<br>Can mean "also" and "still"

zong6 (hai6)

passive voice

bei2

changing the verb order<br>As in "take the ___, and [verb] it" or "with the ___, do what?/[verb]"

zoeng1

a little bit (verbs)

haa5

when...

ge3 si4 hau6<br>or<br>go2 zan6

if

jyu4 gwo2... ge3 waa2

also (grammar)

dou1

reach (grammar)

dou2

next to

gak3 lei4

out

cyut1

the same as

jat1 joeng6

that much/so/as much

gam3<br>gam3 do1 = so much!?<br>jau5 ngo5 gam3 gou1 = as tall as me

like this/that way/is like?

gam2 joeng2

right side

jau6 min6

left side

zo2 min6

in front

cin4 min6

behind

hau6 min6

top

deng2

bottom

dai2

above/on

soeng6 min6

below

haa6 min6

high/tall

gou1

low

dai1

last

zeoi3 hau6

end (finished)

jyun4

start

hoi1 ci2

should

jeng1 goi1

shouldn't

m4 jeng1 goi1

not yet

mei6

how long

gei2 loi4

how far

gei2 jyun5

soon

zau6 lei4<br>or<br>hou2 faai3<br>or<br>zau6 faai3

later (in the future)

ci4 di1

just now

ngaam1 ngaam1

right now

ji4 gaa1

after that… (more structured/processes etc.)

jin4 hau6

from now on

ji5 hau6

previously

ji5 cin4

earlier

tau4 sin1

in

jap6 min6

about

gwaan1 jyu1

almost

caa1 m4 do1 (nearly, not quite the same)

or

caa1 di1 (near miss, almost, close call)

Note: same caa1 as “bad” (lit. “lacking” or “falls short”)

mean (intend)

ji3 si1

always

seng4 jat6

never

cong4 loi4 dou1 m4...<br>"then utill now also not"

forever

wing5 jun5 dou1

later on

ngaan3 di1

usually

tung1 soeng4<br>or<br>ping4 si4

first (novelty)

dai6 jat1<br>dai6 jat1 ci3 = first time<br>dai6 jat1 go3... ge3 jan4 = first person to...

must

jat1 ding6 jiu3

distance away

lei4<br>jing1 gwok3 lei4 hoeng1 gong2 hou2 jyun5 = england is very far from HK

also (special)

jau6 (jau6 peng4 jau6 leng3 = it is both cheap and good)<br>jik6 dou1 = also also

only

zi2 hai6

zi2 bat1 gwo3

already

ji5 ging1

whereas

ji4

then (during that time)

go2 zan6

is (for emphasis/clarity/identity/exactness)

zau6 hai6

zing6 hai6

difference

fan1 bit6

all (adverb)

saai3<br>sik6 saai3 = eat everything

all (entirety/big unit)

cyun4 bou6

all (every/each one)

mui5 (go3)

leftover/remaining

zing6 faan1

even though

zik1 si2

although

seoi1 jin4

remaining/still as before

ji1 jin4<br>or<br>jing4 jin4

from/since

jau4

or (question)

ding6 hai6<br>*exception "jau5 mou5 __ waak6 ze2 __?"

or (statement)

waak6 ze2

furthermore/but also

ji4 ce2

-ing

gan2 - active, actions, can stand alone
zyu6 - passive, states of being, or meanwhile form (“this while that")

come from<br>(lit. come self)

lei4 zi6

something-ise/-ify

faa3

happen

faat3 sang1<br>faat3-sang1 zo2 me1-si6? = what happened?

what

me1 or<br>mat1

why

dim2 gaai2

when?

gei2 si4

where

(hai2) bin1 dou6

how

dim2 joeng2

who/which

bin1 (go3)

a person or reserved space (formal)

wai2

seems like/similar/resemble

hou2 ci5<br>tiu4 fu3 hou2 ci5 coeng4 gam2 di1 = seems like the trousers are a bit too long<br>aa3 maa1 hou2 ci5 faan1 zo2 lei4 = seems like mum's home<br>teng1 lok6 hou2 ci5 jam1 ngok6 = sounds like music

later (soon)

zing6 gaan1<br>(OR zan6 gaan1)

past tense

zo2 = completion<br>gwo3 = past experience

sometimes

jau5 si4

together

jat1 cai4