Lesson 32 · Connectors & Common Words

仲 zung6 — Still, Even More, Also

Replaces Mandarin 還 and 更 — used for 'still', 'even more', and 'furthermore'.

For Mandarin Speakers

仲 zung6 replaces both Mandarin 還 hái (still/also) and 更 gèng (even more). Where you'd say 還有 in Mandarin, Cantonese says 仲有. Where you'd say 更大 in Mandarin, Cantonese says 仲大.

仲 zung6 is a high-frequency Cantonese adverb that replaces two separate Mandarin words: 還 hái (still/also) and 更 gèng (even more). It always goes before the verb or adjective it modifies.

'Still' — 仲 indicates something continues to be the case: 佢仲喺度 keoi5 zung6 hai2 dou6 (he's still here). 你仲記唔記得？nei5 zung6 gei3 m4 gei3 dak1? (Do you still remember?). Mandarin would use 還: 他還在.

'Even more' in comparisons — 仲 intensifies comparisons: 佢仲高過我 keoi5 zung6 gou1 gwo3 ngo5 (he's even taller than me). 今日仲凍過尋日 gam1 jat6 zung6 dung3 gwo3 cam4 jat6 (today is even colder than yesterday). Mandarin would use 更 or 還: 他更/還高.

仲有 zung6 jau5 — 'also have / furthermore / in addition': 仲有冇？zung6 jau5 mou5? (Is there more?). 仲有一個問題 zung6 jau5 jat1 go3 man6 tai4 (There's also another question). This is one of the most common Cantonese phrases.

仲...添 zung6...tim1 — This paired construction means 'even more so': 佢仲叻過你添 keoi5 zung6 lek1 gwo3 nei5 tim1 (he's even smarter than you!). The 添 tim1 at the end adds emphasis. We'll cover 添 in more detail in Lesson 39.

Examples

佢仲喺度keoi5 zung6 hai2 dou6He's still here

Mandarin: 他還在

仲 = still (replaces Mandarin 還)

仲有冇嘢要買？zung6 jau5 mou5 je5 jiu3 maai5?Is there anything else to buy?

Mandarin: 還有沒有東西要買？

仲有 = also have / furthermore (= Mandarin 還有)

今日仲凍過尋日gam1 jat6 zung6 dung3 gwo3 cam4 jat6Today is even colder than yesterday

Mandarin: 今天比昨天更冷

仲 + adj + 過 = even more ... than (replaces Mandarin 更/還)

你仲記唔記得佢？nei5 zung6 gei3 m4 gei3 dak1 keoi5?Do you still remember him?

Mandarin: 你還記不記得他？

仲 + V唔V pattern = 'still V or not?'

佢仲叻過你添！keoi5 zung6 lek1 gwo3 nei5 tim1!He's even smarter than you!

仲...添 = even more so — 添 adds emphasis at sentence end

Exercises

Fill in the Blank

He's still sleeping: 佢___瞓緊覺 (Use the Cantonese equivalent of Mandarin 還)

Translate

Translate to Cantonese: 'Is there anything else?' (using 仲有)

Multiple Choice

How would you say 'even bigger than' in Cantonese?

Fill in the Blank

She's even smarter than him: 佢仲叻過佢___ (Add the emphasis particle)

Multiple Choice

Which Mandarin word(s) does 仲 zung6 replace?

← 31. 就 zau6 — Then, Right Away, Precisely 33. 都 dou1 — All, Also, Even →