Adjectives with 好
Adjectives as predicates with intensifier
I can describe people and things.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
今日好熱呀！
It's so hot today!
你好靚呀。
You're very pretty.
呢度唔大。
This place is not big.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Adjectives as Predicates
Critical rule: Cantonese adjectives work as verbs. Do NOT use 係!
✅ 呢個好靚。(This is very pretty.) — 好 + adjective
❌ *呢個係靚。— WRONG
好 hou2 — Intensifier
好 is the default intensifier meaning "very". Bare adjectives without 好 sound like comparisons.
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 好 + adj | 好凍 | very cold |
| 唔 + adj | 唔凍 | not cold |
| 好 + adj + 呀 | 好凍呀！ | So cold! |
Using 係 before adjectives.
今日好熱呀！
It's so hot today!
好 intensifies 熱 (hot). 呀 adds exclamation. NO 係!
你好靚呀。
You're very pretty.
好靚 — 好 + adjective predicate. Common compliment in Cantonese.
呢度唔大。
This place is not big.
唔大 — negation with 唔 before adjective. No 係 needed.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is 形容詞同好 used?
- Critical rule: Cantonese adjectives work as verbs. Do NOT use 係!
- How is 形容詞同好 formed?
- 好 is the default intensifier meaning "very". Bare adjectives without 好 sound like comparisons.
- What are common mistakes with 形容詞同好?
- EN/DE/RU/CS speakers: Using 係 before adjectives (*佢係高 instead of 佢好高). Cantonese adjectives ARE predicates. Mandarin speakers: Same as 很+adj — 好=很.