What are common mistakes with 有字句?

All L1 speakers: Using *唔有 instead of 冇 — the negation of 有 is ALWAYS 冇. Mandarin speakers: Same as 有/没有, easy transfer. EN speakers: 'There is' uses 有, not 係.

有字句

A1 — 動詞

Using 有 (jau5) for possession ('have') and existence ('there is')

I can express possession and existence using 有/冇.

Using 有 (jau5) for possession ('have') and existence ('there is')

Examples

我有一個哥哥。 — I have one older brother.
呢度冇位坐。 — There are no seats here.
你有冇兄弟姊妹？ — Do you have siblings?

動詞A1

有 for Possession/Existence

Using 有 for 'have' and 'there is'

Learning Goal

I can express possession and existence.

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

我有一個哥哥。

I have one older brother.

呢度冇位坐。

There are no seats here.

你有冇兄弟姊妹？

Do you have siblings?

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

有 jau5 — "to have" / "there is"

有 serves double duty:

Function	Pattern	Example
Possession	S + 有 + O	我有兩個仔。(I have two kids.)
Existence	Place + 有 + O	呢度有洗手間。(There's a restroom here.)

Negation: 冇 mou5

The negative of 有 is NOT 唔有 — it is the special form 冇 mou5:

我冇錢。(I don't have money.) / 呢度冇人。(There's nobody here.)

Using 唔有 instead of 冇. Using 係 for 'there is'.

我有一個哥哥。

I have one older brother.

ngo5 jau5 jat1 go3 go1 go1 — 有 for possession. 個 is the classifier for people.

呢度冇位坐。

There are no seats here.

ni1 dou6 mou5 wai2 co5 — 冇 (not 唔有!) for negating existence.

你有冇兄弟姊妹？

Do you have siblings?

nei5 jau5 mou5 hing1 dai6 zi2 mui6 — 有冇 pattern = A-not-A question form.

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 有字句 used?: The negative of 有 is NOT 唔有 — it is the special form 冇 mou5 :
What are common mistakes with 有字句?: All L1 speakers: Using *唔有 instead of 冇 — the negation of 有 is ALWAYS 冇. Mandarin speakers: Same as 有/没有, easy transfer. EN speakers: 'There is' uses 有, not 係.