Cantonese Level UpCantonese Level UpLesson 9 · Core Grammar
唔 vs Mandarin 不, 冇 vs 沒有, and double negation patterns.
For Mandarin Speakers
Cantonese splits negation into 唔 m4 (general negation, = Mandarin 不) and 冇 mou5 (not have / have not, = Mandarin 沒有). The mapping is clean: wherever Mandarin uses 不, Cantonese uses 唔; wherever Mandarin uses 沒, Cantonese uses 冇.
Cantonese has two main negation words that map directly to Mandarin: 唔 m4 replaces 不 bù, and 冇 mou5 replaces 沒/沒有 méi/méiyǒu. If you understand the Mandarin 不 vs 沒 distinction, the Cantonese system is straightforward.
唔 m4 is the general negation marker. Use it for present/habitual states, willingness, and adjectives — everywhere Mandarin uses 不: 唔好 m4 hou2 (not good = 不好), 唔要 m4 jiu3 (don't want = 不要), 唔去 m4 heoi3 (not going = 不去), 唔知 m4 zi1 (don't know = 不知).
冇 mou5 negates possession and completed actions — everywhere Mandarin uses 沒/沒有: 冇錢 mou5 cin2 (no money = 沒錢), 冇去過 mou5 heoi3 gwo3 (haven't been = 沒去過), 冇食 mou5 sik6 (didn't eat = 沒吃).
Some important fixed expressions with 唔: 唔係 m4 hai6 (is not = 不是), 唔好 m4 hou2 as an imperative means 'don't!' (= 不要/別), 唔該 m4 goi1 (excuse me / thank you — a uniquely Cantonese politeness word with no exact Mandarin equivalent).
Cantonese also uses 未 mei6 for 'not yet', same concept as Mandarin 還沒 hái méi. Example: 我未食 ngo5 mei6 sik6 (I haven't eaten yet). 未 can also form questions: 你食咗未？ nei5 sik6 zo2 mei6? (Have you eaten yet?) — this is more natural in Cantonese than the Mandarin equivalent 你吃了沒有？
Mandarin: 我不喜歡 wǒ bù xǐhuān
唔 m4 = Mandarin 不 — general negation
Mandarin: 他沒來 tā méi lái
冇 mou5 = Mandarin 沒 — negates completed actions
Mandarin: 不要這樣做！ bùyào zhèyàng zuò!
唔好 = 'don't' (imperative) = Mandarin 不要/別
Mandarin: 你吃了沒有？ nǐ chī le méiyǒu?
未 mei6 = 'not yet' — used in questions about completed actions
Mandarin: 我還沒準備好 wǒ hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo
未 mei6 = Mandarin 還沒 (not yet)
Multiple Choice
Which negation word replaces Mandarin 不 in Cantonese?
Fill in the Blank
Convert to Cantonese: 我沒有去 (I didn't go) → 我___去
Multiple Choice
What does 唔好 m4 hou2 mean when used as an imperative?
Translate
Translate to Cantonese (with Jyutping): 'I haven't eaten yet.' (我還沒吃)
Multiple Choice
Choose the correct negation: 佢___係老師 (He/She is not a teacher)