Language/Yue-chinese/Grammar/Possibility-and-Certainty

Yue Chinese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Possibility and Certainty

In the vibrant world of Yue Chinese, expressing certainty and possibility is essential for effective communication. Whether you’re planning an exciting trip to Hong Kong or simply chatting with friends, understanding how to articulate what might happen or what you believe to be true can significantly enhance your conversational skills. In this lesson, we will dive into the nuances of modal particles and verbs that help convey these concepts.

This lesson is structured to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of how to express possibility and certainty in Yue Chinese, complete with examples, exercises, and practical applications. So, let's get started!

Introduction to Modal Particles

Modal particles are small yet mighty words that add emotional nuance to your sentences. They help convey the speaker's attitude toward the likelihood or certainty of an event.

• Common Modal Particles:

• "可能" (ho2 nang4) - "possible"

• "一定" (jat1 ding6) - "certainly"

• "應該" (jing1 goi1) - "should"

• "會" (wui5) - "will"

Expressing Possibility

When you want to express that something is possible, you can use the modal particle "可能" (ho2 nang4) or "會" (wui5).

Examples of Possibility

Here are some examples showcasing how to express possibility in Yue Chinese:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
佢可能會黎	keoi5 ho2 nang4 wui5 lai4	He might come.
今晚可能會下雨	gam1 maan5 ho2 nang4 wui5 haa6 jyu5	It might rain tonight.
你可能唔知	nei5 ho2 nang4 m4 zi1	You might not know.
我可能有時間	ngo5 ho2 nang4 jau5 si4 gaan3	I might have time.
佢可能唔返學	keoi5 ho2 nang4 m4 faan1 hok6	She might not go to school.
我明天可能會去	ngo5 ming4 tin1 ho2 nang4 wui5 heoi3	I might go tomorrow.
佢可能會遲到	keoi5 ho2 nang4 wui5 ci4 dou3	He might be late.
可能有其他選擇	ho2 nang4 jau5 kei4 taa1 syun2 zaak3	There might be other options.
你可能認錯人	nei5 ho2 nang4 jing6 cho3 jan4	You might have mistaken someone.
佢可能會唔開心	keoi5 ho2 nang4 wui5 m4 hoi1 sam1	She might be unhappy.

Expressing Certainty

When you want to express certainty, you can use the modal particle "一定" (jat1 ding6) or "會" (wui5).

Examples of Certainty

Here are some examples showcasing how to express certainty in Yue Chinese:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
佢一定會黎	keoi5 jat1 ding6 wui5 lai4	He will definitely come.
明天一定會好天	ming4 tin1 jat1 ding6 wui5 hou2 tin1	It will definitely be a nice day tomorrow.
你一定會成功	nei5 jat1 ding6 wui5 sing4 gung1	You will definitely succeed.
我一定會返工	ngo5 jat1 ding6 wui5 faan1 gung1	I will definitely go to work.
佢一定唔會錯	keoi5 jat1 ding6 m4 wui5 cho3	She will definitely not make a mistake.
佢一定會幫你	keoi5 jat1 ding6 wui5 bong1 nei5	He will definitely help you.
今日一定有好消息	gam1 jat6 ding6 jau5 hou2 siu1 sik1	There will definitely be good news today.
我一定會記得	ngo5 jat1 ding6 wui5 gei3 dak1	I will definitely remember.
佢一定會黎	keoi5 jat1 ding6 wui5 lai4	She will definitely come.
你一定會明白	nei5 jat1 ding6 wui5 ming4 baak3	You will definitely understand.

Using Verbs to Indicate Possibility and Certainty

In addition to modal particles, certain verbs can also imply possibility and certainty.

Examples of Verbs

Some common verbs include:

• "知" (zi1) - "know"

• "信" (seon3) - "believe"

• "想" (seung2) - "want"

• "可以" (ho2 ji5) - "can"

Here are some examples using these verbs:

Yue Chinese	Pronunciation	English
我知道佢會來	ngo5 zi1 dou3 keoi5 wui5 loi4	I know he will come.
你信佢會成功嗎?	nei5 seon3 keoi5 wui5 sing4 gung1 maa3?	Do you believe she will succeed?
我想佢會幫助我	ngo5 seung2 keoi5 wui5 bong1 zo6 ngo5	I want him to help me.
我可以去，但我可能唔去	ngo5 ho2 ji5 heoi3, daan6 ngo5 ho2 nang4 m4 heoi3	I can go, but I might not go.
你知唔知佢會黎?	nei5 zi1 m4 zi1 keoi5 wui5 lai4?	Do you know if he will come?
佢信我會成功	keoi5 seon3 ngo5 wui5 sing4 gung1	She believes I will succeed.
我想知道佢會唔會來	ngo5 seung2 zi1 dou3 keoi5 wui5 m4 wui5 loi4	I want to know if he will come.
我可以確定佢會來	ngo5 ho2 ji5 kok3 ding6 keoi5 wui5 loi4	I can confirm that he will come.
你信唔信佢會幫助你?	nei5 seon3 m4 seon3 keoi5 wui5 bong1 zo6 nei5?	Do you believe he will help you?
我知道佢唔會遲到	ngo5 zi1 dou3 keoi5 m4 wui5 ci4 dou3	I know he won't be late.

Exercises and Practice Scenarios

Now that we understand how to express possibility and certainty using modal particles and verbs, it’s time to practice! Below are ten exercises to help reinforce what you’ve learned.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct modal particle or verb.

1. 佢______會黎 (He ______ might come)

2. 我______知道 (I ______ know)

3. 明天______一定會好 (Tomorrow ______ will definitely be good)

4. 你______信佢 (Do you ______ believe him?)

5. 我______可能唔去 (I ______ might not go)

Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following English sentences into Yue Chinese.

1. She might be late.

2. You will definitely understand.

3. They might come this weekend.

4. I believe it will rain.

5. He definitely won't forget.

Exercise 3: True or False

Determine whether the following sentences are true or false based on what you’ve learned.

1. "一定" means "might."

2. "可能" indicates certainty.

3. "會" can mean both "will" and "might."

4. "知" is used to express possibility.

5. "信" indicates belief.

Exercise 4: Create Your Own Sentences

Write five sentences of your own using both possibility and certainty.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Exercise 5: Pair Work

In pairs, take turns asking each other questions using "可能" and "一定." For example, "你覺得佢會黎嗎?" (Do you think he will come?)

Exercise 6: Matching

Match the Yue Chinese sentences with their English translations.

1. 佢一定會來

2. 可能會下雨

3. 你知唔知?

4. 我可能唔去

5. 我信佢會成功

a. I might not go.

b. Do you know?

c. He will definitely come.

d. I believe he will succeed.

e. It might rain.

Exercise 7: Short Answers

Respond to the following questions in Yue Chinese, using modal particles or verbs.

1. 你覺得明天會下雨嗎?

2. 你會返工嗎?

3. 你知唔知佢會來嗎?

Exercise 8: Fill in the Correct Word

Choose the correct word to fill in the blanks.

1. 我_____一定會成功。 (I _____ will definitely succeed.)

2. 佢_____唔會遲到。 (She _____ will not be late.)

3. 你_____可能唔知。 (You _____ might not know.)

Exercise 9: Sentence Transformation

Transform the following sentences from certainty to possibility.

1. 我一定會去 (I will definitely go.)

2. 佢會幫我 (He will help me.)

Exercise 10: Group Discussion

Discuss in small groups about your plans for the weekend using modal particles to express possibility and certainty.

Solutions and Explanations

Here are the answers to the exercises for your reference.

Exercise 1 Solutions

1. 可能 (ho2 nang4)

2. 知 (zi1)

3. 一定 (jat1 ding6)

4. 信 (seon3)

5. 可能 (ho2 nang4)

Exercise 2 Solutions

1. 佢可能會遲到 (keoi5 ho2 nang4 wui5 ci4 dou3).

2. 你一定會明白 (nei5 jat1 ding6 wui5 ming4 baak3).

3. 佢可能會黎個周末 (keoi5 ho2 nang4 wui5 lai4 go3 zau1 mut6).

4. 我信佢會落雨 (ngo5 seon3 keoi5 wui5 lok6 jyu5).

5. 佢一定唔會忘記 (keoi5 jat1 ding6 m4 wui5 mong4 gei3).

Exercise 3 Solutions

1. False

2. False

3. True

4. False

5. True

Exercise 4 Solutions

(Solutions will vary based on individual responses.)

Exercise 5 Solutions

(Responses will vary based on pair conversations.)

Exercise 6 Solutions

1. c

2. e

3. b

4. a

5. d

Exercise 7 Solutions

(Responses will vary based on individual answers.)

Exercise 8 Solutions

1. 一定 (jat1 ding6)

2. 一定 (jat1 ding6)

3. 可能 (ho2 nang4)

Exercise 9 Solutions

1. 我可能會去 (ngo5 ho2 nang4 wui5 heoi3).

2. 佢可能會幫我 (keoi5 ho2 nang4 wui5 bong1 ngo5).

Exercise 10 Solutions

(Responses will vary based on group discussions.)

In this lesson, we explored the fascinating ways to express possibility and certainty in Yue Chinese using modal particles and verbs. Remember, practice makes perfect! Keep engaging with your peers, and soon you'll find yourself communicating with confidence in Yue Chinese.

Table of Contents - Yue Chinese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Questions and Negations

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing People and Things
• Describing Actions

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Location and Direction
• Connecting Ideas

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Essentials

  ---

Verb Tenses and Aspects

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Yue Chinese Customs and Traditions

• Festivals and Holidays
• Etiquette and Manners

  ---

Shopping and Services

• At the Market
• Public Services

  ---

Comparatives and Superlatives

• Making Comparisons
• Expressing the Best and the Worst

  ---

Yue Chinese Art and Literature

• Traditional Art Forms
• Famous Yue Chinese Literature

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Nouns
• Verb Tense
• Hello and Goodbye
• How to Use Have
• Plurals
• Expressing Comparison
• Comprehensive Review
• Pronouns