Cantonese Question Words
Five little words unlock every question in Cantonese: 咩 (me1, what), 邊個 (bin1 go3, who), 幾時 (gei2 si4, when), 點解 (dim2 gaai2, why), and 點樣 (dim2 joeng2, how). Learn them with audio and you can start real conversations.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the main question words in Cantonese?
咩 (me1, what), 邊個 (bin1 go3, who), 幾時 (gei2 si4, when), 點解 (dim2 gaai2, why) and 點樣 (dim2 joeng2, how).
How do you ask why in Cantonese?
點解 (dim2 gaai2). It literally means how to explain, and you can use it on its own to ask why.
How is asking questions in Cantonese different from English?
The question word usually stays where the answer would go instead of moving to the front — for example 你食咩 (nei5 sik6 me1), literally you eat what.
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