Learn to read Cantonese
A short, active path into reading Cantonese: see how a character is built out of a meaning half and a sound half, learn the sixty characters a fable runs on, meet the grammar words 係 唔 嘅 咗 that mark written Cantonese out from Mandarin, and read a short story before opening your first book.
Telling a story that already happened
- Verbs have no past tense. A small word after the verb says what stage the action is at.
- 咗zo2 after a verb means it is done — this is the one that carries a story.
- 緊gan2 means it is going on now; 過gwo3 means it has been done at some point.
- A time word at the front does most of the work; then the verbs stop marking it.
- A character at the end carries the tone of voice, not the meaning.
A Cantonese verb has no past form. Instead a small word sits straight after it saying what stage the action has reached — finished, under way, or done at least once. Translate the stage, not the tense.
Three stage words
| Stage word | What it says | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 咗zo2 | the action is complete | 佢走咗。keoi5 zau2 zo2.“He left.” |
| 緊gan2 | the action is going on now | 佢食緊嘢。keoi5 sik6 gan2 je5.“He is eating.” |
| 過gwo3 | it has happened at least once | 我去過。ngo5 heoi3 gwo3.“I have been there.” |
All three go immediately after the verb, and none of them change it.
How a story opens and moves
The characters at the end that carry the tone of voice
| Ending | What it adds |
|---|---|
| 呀aa3 | softens a question or a statement — the commonest |
| 啦laa1 | a suggestion or a gentle nudge: “come on, then” |
| 㗎gaa3 | matter-of-fact: “that is just how it is” |
These are the hardest thing in Cantonese to translate and the easiest to read past. They add feeling, not meaning. Notice one, register that the speaker is being soft or firm, and move on.
Which stage?
- 佢跌咗。
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keoi5 dit3 zo2 — “It fell over.” - 我搵緊水。
Going on right now.
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ngo5 wan2 gan2 seoi2 — “I am looking for water.” - 有一日，佢去山上。
No stage word on the verb at all.
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jau5 jat1 jat6, keoi5 heoi3 saan1 soeng6 — “One day he went up the hill.” The time word already put the story in the past. - What does 啦 add to 嚟啦?
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Warmth and a nudge: 嚟啦lai4 laa1“come on, then”.