What are common mistakes with 基本句式?

EN speakers: SVO is familiar — main trap is topic-fronting which feels unnatural. DE speakers: No V2 rule in Cantonese — verb always follows subject. JP/KO speakers: Must switch from SOV to SVO.

基本句式: rules, examples & exercises | Cantonese Grammar A1

基本句式

A1 — 句法

Basic Subject-Verb-Object word order in Cantonese

I can form basic sentences with correct SVO word order.

Basic Subject-Verb-Object word order in Cantonese

Examples

我鍾意食嘢。 — I like eating.
佢飲咖啡。 — He/She drinks coffee.
我媽媽煮飯。 — My mom cooks rice.

句法A1

Basic Sentence Structure

SVO word order in Cantonese

Learning Goal

I can form basic SVO sentences.

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

我鍾意食嘢。

I like eating.

佢飲咖啡。

He/She drinks coffee.

我媽媽煮飯。

My mom cooks rice.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

SVO Word Order

Cantonese uses Subject + Verb + Object order, same as English:

我 (I) + 食 (eat) + 飯 (rice) → 我食飯。

佢 (he) + 飲 (drink) + 水 (water) → 佢飲水。

Topic-Comment Structure

Cantonese also allows Topic + Comment word order, where the topic comes first:

呢本書 (this book) + 我睇咗 (I read) → 呢本書我睇咗。(This book, I've read it.)

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

SVO is familiar for English speakers. German speakers: no V2 rule.

我鍾意食嘢。

I like eating.

ngo5 zung1 ji3 sik6 je5 — S(我) + V(鍾意) + O(食嘢). Classic SVO.

佢飲咖啡。

He/She drinks coffee.

keoi5 jam2 gaa3 fe1 — Subject 佢 + Verb 飲 + Object 咖啡.

我媽媽煮飯。

My mom cooks rice.

ngo5 maa4 maa1 zyu2 faan6 — 我媽媽 (my mom, subject) + 煮 (cook, verb) + 飯 (rice, object).

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

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Frequently asked questions

When is 基本句式 used?: Cantonese uses Subject + Verb + Object order, same as English:
How is 基本句式 formed?: Cantonese also allows Topic + Comment word order, where the topic comes first: 呢本書 (this book) + 我睇咗 (I read) → 呢本書我睇咗。(This book, I've read it.)
What are common mistakes with 基本句式?: EN speakers: SVO is familiar — main trap is topic-fronting which feels unnatural. DE speakers: No V2 rule in Cantonese — verb always follows subject. JP/KO speakers: Must switch from SOV to SVO.