Cantonese Level UpCantonese Level UpLesson 19 · Verbs & Actions
Mostly shared with Mandarin (可以, 應該, 要), plus Cantonese-specific: 識 sik1, 肯 hang2.
For Mandarin Speakers
Most auxiliary verbs are shared: 可以, 應該, 要, 想 all work the same. The Cantonese-specific ones to learn are 識 sik1 (know how to — replaces 會 in the ability sense) and the different usage of 會 wui5 (future only, not ability).
Many Cantonese auxiliary verbs are shared with Mandarin and work identically: 可以 ho2 ji5 (can/may = 可以 kěyǐ), 應該 jing1 goi1 (should = 應該 yīnggāi), 要 jiu3 (need to/want to = 要 yào), 想 soeng2 (want to = 想 xiǎng). These are freebies for Mandarin speakers.
The key difference is how Cantonese handles 能力 (ability) vs 未來 (future). In Mandarin, 會 huì covers both ('can do' and 'will do'). Cantonese splits them: 識 sik1 = know how to / can (ability), 會 wui5 = will (future only). So: 我識游水 ngo5 sik1 jau4 seoi2 (I can swim — ability), 聽日會落雨 ting1 jat6 wui5 lok6 jyu5 (it will rain tomorrow — future).
識 sik1 literally means 'to know' or 'to recognize' (like Mandarin 認識), but as an auxiliary it means 'know how to': 你識唔識煮飯？ nei5 sik1 m4 sik1 zyu2 faan6? (Do you know how to cook?). In Mandarin, you'd use 會: 你會不會做飯？ Note that Cantonese does NOT use 會 for ability.
肯 hang2 means 'willing to' and is stronger than 想 (want). It implies overcoming reluctance: 佢唔肯去 keoi5 m4 hang2 heoi3 (he refuses to go / isn't willing to go). Mandarin has 肯 kěn too, but Cantonese uses it more frequently in daily speech.
得 dak1 as a standalone auxiliary means 'can / it's OK': 得唔得？ dak1 m4 dak1? (Is it OK? / Can it work?). Answer: 得 dak1 (yes, it's fine) or 唔得 m4 dak1 (no, it can't). This is Cantonese's quick permission/feasibility check — much more concise than Mandarin's 行不行 or 可以嗎.
Mandarin: 我會說廣東話 wǒ huì shuō guǎngdōng huà
識 sik1 = ability — replaces Mandarin 會 for 'know how to'
Mandarin: 明天會下雨 míngtiān huì xià yǔ
會 wui5 = future only in Cantonese (not ability!)
Mandarin: 他不肯吃藥 tā bù kěn chī yào
肯 hang2 = willing to — implies overcoming reluctance
Mandarin: 行不行？ xíng bù xíng?
得 dak1 = quick feasibility check — very common in Cantonese
Mandarin: 你想喝什麼？ nǐ xiǎng hē shénme?
想 soeng2 = want to — shared with Mandarin, works identically
Multiple Choice
In Cantonese, how is Mandarin 會 (huì) split into two functions?
Fill in the Blank
Convert to Cantonese: 你會不會做飯？(Can you cook?) → 你___唔___煮飯？
Translate
Translate to Cantonese (with Jyutping): 'Is it OK?' (行嗎？/ 可以嗎？)
Multiple Choice
What does 佢唔肯嚟 keoi5 m4 hang2 lai4 mean?
Multiple Choice
Which auxiliary verbs work the same in Cantonese and Mandarin?