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Cantonese Chinese · Cantonese Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 3

你係唔係學生？Are you a student?

nei5 hai6 m4 hai6 hok6 saang1

係 and 唔係: saying what you are, and asking "is it… or not?". Plus 我哋 and 你哋 for "we" and "you all".

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Dialogue

i

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你係唔係老師？— Are you a teacher?

  1. Mike家gaa1欣jan1，你nei5係hai6唔m4係hai6老lou5師si1？Ka-yan, are you a teacher?
  2. KaYan老lou5師si1？唔m4係hai6！我ngo5係hai6學hok6生saang1。A teacher? No! I'm a student.
  3. Mike學hok6生saang1？我ngo5係hai6學hok6生saang1！A student? I'm a student!
  4. KaYan你nei5係hai6唔m4係hai6新san1學hok6生saang1呀aa3？Are you a new student?
  5. Mike係hai6！我ngo5係hai6新san1學hok6生saang1。Yes! I'm a new student.

Dialogue

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何老師— Ms Ho

  1. HoLouSi早zou2晨san4！你nei5哋dei6係hai6唔m4係hai6新san1同tung4學hok6呀aa3？Good morning! Are you the new students?
  2. Mike係hai6呀aa3！我ngo5哋dei6係hai6新san1同tung4學hok6。Yes! We're the new students.
  3. HoLouSi好hou2。我ngo5係hai6何ho4老lou5師si1。Good. I'm Ms Ho, your teacher.
  4. Mike何ho4老lou5師si1，早zou2晨san4！你nei5係hai6唔m4係hai6學hok6生saang1呀aa3？Good morning, Ms Ho! Are you a student?
  5. HoLouSi唔m4係hai6呀aa3！我ngo5係hai6老lou5師si1！No! I'm the teacher!

Vocabulary

i

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係hai6

verbto be (am, is, are); yes

唔m4

adverbnot (before a verb or adjective)

唔m4係hai6

phraseis not; no

學hok6生saang1

nounstudent

老lou5師si1

nounteacher (also a title: 何老師)

同tung4學hok6

nounclassmate; schoolmate

新san1

adjectivenew

我ngo5哋dei6

pronounwe; us

你nei5哋dei6

pronounyou (plural)

何ho4老lou5師si1

pn.Ms Ho (the teacher)

New characters

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係hai6

to be; yes

學

to learn; study (in 學生, 同學)

生

life; born; (in 學生)

老lou5

old; (in 老師)

師

master; teacher (in 老師)

同

same; together (in 同學)

新san1

new

哋

plural for pronouns (我哋, 你哋)

何

the surname Ho

Grammar

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係 and 唔係: A is (not) B

Explanation

係 links two things: 我係學生 (I = a student). To say "not", put 唔 in front: 我唔係老師. When you answer a question, 係 or 唔係 on its own is enough: 你係唔係學生? — 係. / 唔係. Note: 係 only goes between two nouns. Describing words such as "tall", "pretty" or "hot" do not take 係; that comes later.

Examples

  • 我係學生。I'm a student.
  • 我唔係老師。I'm not a teacher.
  • 我哋係同學。We're classmates.
  • 你係唔係學生？唔係。Are you a student? — No.

Grammar

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Asking "is it or isn't it?": 係唔係

Explanation

To ask "is it… or not?", put 係 and 唔係 side by side: 你係唔係學生? Nothing else in the sentence moves: 我係學生 → 你係唔係學生? Answer with the verb itself: 係, or 唔係. Add 呀 at the end to soften it: 你哋係唔係新同學呀?

Examples

  • 你nei5係hai6唔m4係hai6老lou5師si1？Are you a teacher?
  • 你係唔係新學生呀？係。Are you a new student? — Yes.
  • 你哋係唔係同學？唔係。Are you two classmates? — No.

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