Language/Yue-chinese/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be

Yue Chinese Grammar - How to Use "Be"

Hi Yue Chinese learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Yue Chinese. This lesson is designed for intermediate learners who already have some knowledge of basic Yue Chinese sentence structures and grammar.

Before getting started, it's important to note that Yue Chinese has different romanization systems. In this lesson, we will use the Yale romanization system.

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Verb Tense & Adjectives.

What is the Verb "Be"

The verb "be" is a fundamental verb in English and many other languages, including Yue Chinese. In Yue Chinese, the verb "be" has two forms: 係 haih6 and 是 si6. Both mean "to be," but are used in different contexts.

The Verb 係

The verb 係 is used in three contexts:

1. To connect a noun with an adjective that describes it.

Examples:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
呢個蛋糕係甜嘅。	ni1 go3 daan6 gou1 haih6 tim4 ge3.	This cake is sweet.
佢係警察。	keoi5 haih6 ging2 caat3.	He is a police officer.

2. To identify someone or something by profession, nationality or name.

Examples:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
我係老師。	ngo5 haih6 lou5 si1.	I am a teacher.
佢係意大利人。	keoi5 haih6 ji3 daai6 lei6 jan4.	He is Italian.

3. To create a simple sentence with a subject and predicate.

Examples:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
我係飲食部嘅主任。	ngo5 haih6 jam2 sik6 bou6 ge3 zyu2 jam6.	I am the head of the catering department.
佢係我嘅朋友。	keoi5 haih6 ngo5 ge3 pang4 jau5.	He is my friend.

The Verb 是

The verb 是 is used to create affirmative, negative or interrogative sentences.

1. Affirmative Sentences

In affirmative sentences, the verb 是 is placed between the subject and the predicate.

Examples:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
我係老師。	ngo5 haih6 lou5 si1.	I am a teacher.
佢係意大利人。	keoi5 haih6 ji3 daai6 lei6 jan4.	He is Italian.

2. Negative Sentences

In negative sentences, the verb "be" is translated as 唔係 m4 hai6, which means "not be."

Examples:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
我唔係老師。	ngo5 m4 hai6 lou5 si1.	I am not a teacher.
佢唔係意大利人。	keoi5 m4 hai6 ji3 daai6 lei6 jan4.	He is not Italian.

3. Interrogative Sentences

In interrogative sentences, the verb 是 is placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject and the predicate. In written form, a question mark is added at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
你係老師嗎？	nei5 haih6 lou5 si1 maa3?	Are you a teacher?
佢係意大利人嗎？	keoi5 haih6 ji3 daai6 lei6 jan4 maa3?	Is he Italian?

Dialogue

Here is a dialogue to help you see the verb “be” in context:

• Person 1: 你係唔係香港人？(nei5 haih6 m4 hai6 hoeng1 gong2 jan4?) (Are you Hong Kongese?)
• Person 2: 係，我係香港人。(haih6, ngo5 haih6 hoeng1 gong2 jan4.) (Yes, I am Hong Kongese.)

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct form of "be" for the following sentences:

1. 佢 ____ 警察。(keoi5 ____ ging2 caat3.) Possible answers: 係 / 是

2. 我唔 ____ 香港人。(ngo5 m4 ____ hoeng1 gong2 jan4.) Possible answers: 係 / 是

3. 呢個蛋糕 ____ 甜嘅。(ni1 go3 daan6 gou1 ____ tim4 ge3.) Possible answers: 係 / 是

4. 佢 ____ 我嘅朋友。(keoi5 ____ ngo5 ge3 pang4 jau5.) Possible answers: 係 / 是

5. 你係唔係 ____ 医生？(nei5 haih6 m4 hai6 ____ ji1 sang1?) Possible answers: 係 / 是

Answers: 1. 係, 2. 係, 3. 係, 4. 是, 5. 是

Now that you have learned how to use the verb "be" in Yue Chinese, practice as much as you can! To improve your Yue Chinese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Pronouns
• Future Tense
• Adjectives
• Nouns
• Conditional Mood
• Negation
• Give your Opinion
• Plurals
• Questions