Cantonese Vocabulary
Verbs 2

The verbs section is arranged differently than the other vocabulary lessons on this site.  Instead of arranging words in terms of a theme, they will be arranged according to the type of object which they take.

Up ] Verbs 1 ] [ Verbs 2 ] Verbs 3 ] Verbs 4 ]

The verbs on this page fit the pattern:

Verb + Noun Phrase

If these verbs appear without an object in the sentence, an object must be understood from the context or have a resultative complement.

 

lohk

to descend

rc

maaih

to sell

def

/maaih/

to buy

def

\saan\

to close

 

/se/

to write

 

/seuhng/

to rise

rc

/seung/ yiu

to want

想要

 

sihk

to eat

def

sing

be surnamed

**

/tai/

to read

**

tek

to kick

**

\teng\

listen

**

tiu

to jump

 

/wan/

to find

io

yahp

to enter

rc

/yam/

to drink

 

\yiu\ /ching/

to invite

邀請

io

\yuhng\

to use

 

Notes

IO- This verb can take an Indirect Object
RC- Can take a resultative complement in place of an object
Def- The first choice in the box is the verb's default object

sing always takes a surname as its object.  No other noun will work.

/tai/ has several usages in Cantonese.  Generally, it means to watch something over a period of time rather than to simply just "see" it.  In reference to books it means to read.  In reference to a person it means to take care of (as a babysitter) or to observe carefully (as you would with someone suspicious).

tek -bo- can mean either to kick a ball, or to play a sport in which balls are kicked, such as football (soccer, American Football, Aussie rules, etc.)

\teng\ can mean to "obey" when the object refers to an authority figure.

/wan/ can take a VP as an indirect object which explains the purpose of "finding"

\yiu\ /ching/ sometimes seems to take a VP (the thing being invited to be done), however, in such cases the NP (the one being invited) is always understood by the hearer.  The VP is actually the indirect object.


Up | Verbs 1 | Verbs 2 | Verbs 3 | Verbs 4

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