Question particles and basic yes-no questions
Cantonese often uses sentence-final particles to turn a statement into a question or to shape its tone.
Examples
CantoneseTranslation
你鍾意咖啡呀？Nei5 zung1ji3 gaa3fe1 aa3?
Do you like coffee?
你今日返工嗎？Nei5 gam1jat6 faan1gung1 maa3?
Are you going to work today?
佢喺屋企呀？Keoi5 hai2 uk1kei2 aa3?
Is he at home?
Pattern
statement + question particle
How it works
Cantonese often uses sentence-final particles to turn a statement into a question or to shape its tone. This pattern typically appears as statement + question particle and becomes easier when you meet it again in short, readable examples.
What to notice
- Sentence-final particles often do crucial interaction work in Cantonese.
- The main statement order usually stays intact.
Why it matters
Ask questions and talk about time, place, and existence naturally.
Use in context
Question particles are a natural first-stop grammar topic for Cantonese because they appear everywhere in spoken interaction.