Frequent Cantonese Words – Top 100

我

I; me; my; we; our; us; self

係

to be; is; are; yes, it is; indeed; right; positive; relation; relationship; consequence

佢

he; him; his; she; her; hers; it

你

you

嘅

adjective suffix - usu affixed to an adjective and placed before a noun; possessive marker - functioning like " 's " or "of"; relative pronoun - that, who, which; final particle - connoting assertion with emphasis

都

all; both; without exception; even; already; also; too capital; metropolis; big city

咁

so; to such a great degree (used to modify the following adjective); -ly; in the manner of (used to modify the following verb)

唔

not; no

就

right away; at once; thereupon; only; just; almost; approach; come near; move towards; comply with; accommodate; follow; with regard to; concerning; as far as

好

good; fine; nice; very; quite; fairly; good to (do); pleasing (to one's senses); friendly; kind; amicable; healthy; in good shape/condition; ready; done; finished; well; all right; okay

既

as well as; both; since; now that; as; already; de facto 旣

到

arrive; reach; get to; go to; leave for; used after a verb or adjective to indicate degree/extent

有

have; own; possess; there is; exist; be present

呀

final particle used to soften an abrupt question/statement, act as reminder and make emphasis; pause particle in enumerating items

個

unit; piece (see Note); individual; single

啦

now; right now; up to now; basic connotation of "now"; Canto 啦 sometimes written as 喇 .

左

left; left side; east; east side; unorthodox; improper; supporting; assist; be demoted; descend; inconvenience; inconvenient; erroneous; mistaken; unduly stubborn; a surname; disobey; disregard

地

earth; land; soil; ground; district; location; site; used after an adjective (usu polysyllabic) to form a literary adverbial phrase

呢

this, same as 邇

的

(1) [dik1 & de5]; possessive; adjectival suffix; final particle (2) [dik1 & di2] truly; really; indeed (3) [dik1 & di4] bull's eye; target (4) [dik1]; lift up; few; small

咗

already; (particle marking perfective aspect or continuous state), same as 著 .

去

go to/away; leave (for); depart from; be apart from in space or time; past; previous; last; departing tone; verb particle indicating direction

又

and; also; again; in addition to; moreover; furthermore; and (used in a mixed fraction such as one and three fourths)

同

same; similar; identical; together; in common; with; as; like; and; as well as; for; on behalf of

住

live; reside; stay; dwell; inhabit; stop; cease; verb particle marking the extensional aspect

人

person; people; human being; everybody; each; all; grown-up; adult; manhood; persons of a certain kind; a person's character, reputation, etc; a person's physical or mental condition; manpower; staff; human resources (Classifier(s): 個, 班, 群)

啲

some; those; a few; a little bit

會

will; shall; would; be likely to; understand; know; be able to

一

[numeral/article] one; a; an; the; same; whole; all; throughout; each; certain; another; once; as soon as (as short for 一旦 ); a little; slightly; suddenly; completely

咩

bleating of sheep; transforms statements into questions that indicate doubt or surprise

話

word; talk; speech; talk; speak; tell

真係

really

自己

oneself; self

要

want; wish; need; ask for; must; should; have to; shall; will; be about to; important; essential; major; essential points; main points; if; suppose; in case

可以

can, may, be allowed to

想

think; consider; suppose; hope; expect; plan; remember with longing; miss; want; would like to

冇

don't have; haven't; not; do not; have no

唔係

not be; am not; otherwise

嚟

come; arrive; have just been; to; for; since; in order to

無

negative; no; not; none; without; destitute of; wanting; lack; have not; no matter what (or how); not yet; a Chinese family name

做

work; make; do; act as; pretend to be; give (a party, reception, etc.); enter (a profession); become

講

Cantonese dialectical word: say; speak Mandarin: V: to emphasize, to speak

得

get; obtain; gain; fit; suit; proper; finished; ready; be satisfied/complacent; permit; allow used to express possibility or capability; to indicate the result or degree must; need; have to

啊

ah; oh - used to express surprise or appreciation

已經

already

睇

see; look; view; read; watch; look after; care for; believe; think; consider

一個

a, an, the, one, etc.

喺

be located at; be in; be on; be at in; on; at; form

哋

used after a personal pronoun to indicate plurality 地

之後

afterwards; after; behind

但

but; however; yet

好似

be like; be very similar

知

know; understand; be aware of; knowledge; learning; inform; notify; tell; bosom/intimate friend; administer; be in charge of

不過

but; however

因為

because

了

indicating completed action; indicating change of situation; finish; end; conclude; settle; indicating possibility

上

upper; higher; high place; superior; senior; top; preceding; previous; last; up; upward; to (a higher level); on; in; regarding

再

again; repeated; re-; still; further; then

而

and; also; and yet; but; nevertheless; accordingly; otherwise; on the condition that; supposing that; if; you

對

correct; right; proper; answer; reply; respond; counter; treat; cope with; face; direct at; train on; opposite; opposing; antagonistic; compare; check; adjust; match; suit; fit; agree; pair; couple; to; towards; versus

走

run (see Note); leave; go away; move; leak; reveal; let out; lose the original shape, flavour, etc

見

see; catch sight of; observe; meet; call on; visit; view; opinion; idea; show evidence of; appear to be; (used before a verb to indicate the passive)

多

many; much; several; more; more than; odd; over; excessive; unnecessary; much better; much more; far more; how; what; to what extent

下

under; below; beneath; less than; lower; inferior; of the bottom part; next; upcoming; of a later time; go/come down (to); descend; leave off; put/lower into; apply; put forth; issue; deliver; send; formulate; work out; set down; down; downward

喇

trumpet; loudspeaker; now; right now; up till now; from now on wala; hula

嗰

that

隻

classifier for certain animals, containers, small boats, paired things, etc; single; alone; one only; a general numerical classifier equivalent to Mandarin "ge4"

比

compare/compete with; emulate; liken to; be comparable to/with; than

叫

cry; shout; hail; scream; be called; known as; call; summon; cause

但係

but; however

諗

think; consider; ponder over

架

erect; put/set up; support; fight; quarrel

度

measure; degree; level; limit; rules; system; code of conduct; (of time) spend; pass; (of frequency) time; occasion

只

only; merely; just; but; simply; yet; simplified form of 隻

先

first; lead; initiative; before; early on; in advance; temporarily; for the time being; for now; elder generation; ancestor; forefather; leading; pioneering; initiating; preceding; early; antecedent; only then/after (shortened for 先至 )

點解

why

搵

search; find; look for; use; make use of; earn (money)

聽

listen to; hear; obey; comply with; heed; tomorrow

然後

afterwards; and then

嘢

thing; things; article; articles; goods; matter; stuff (Classifier(s): 樣)

其實

actually; if anything

俾

enable; cause; so/such that; so as to; in order that; by (used together with a passive verb)

唔好

[1] no good [2] don't

返

return; come/go back; restore

覺得

to think; to feel

是

indeed; yes; right; positive; to be; this; that; which; a Chinese family name

死

die; death; dead; desperately; stubbornly; resolutely; regid; inflexible; dogmatic; extremely; terribly; unusually; irreconcilable; implacable; deadly; impassable; closed; blocked

時候

(point in) time, moment

望

look towards; gaze at; glance; hope; expect; await; call on; pay a visit; reputation; prestige; 15th day of a lunar month

事

matter; affair; thing; business; job; work; occupation; undertaking; accident; trouble; incident; be engaged in; go in for; wait upon; serve; attend

打

{-- jp: daa2; strike; hit; beat; fight; attack; smash; make, do, get, fetch, play, buy, etc.; from; to; toward {-- jp: daa1 dozen

如果

if

個人

individual; personal

乜

what; why; how come

用

use; employ; apply; operate; exert; use; effect; finance; need; eat; drink; Kangxi radical 101

應該

should, ought to

野

open country; wilderness; countryside; uncultivated; undomesticated; untamed; rude; rough; unrestrained; not being in power; being out of office; limit; boundary; sphere

開始

to start

知道

to know

向

face; turn towards; direction; inclination; tendency; towards; to; from; against; all along; until now (as short for 一向 ); an uncommon surname