(pos:代詞)(sim:乜)(sim:乜嘢)(sim:咩嘢)
<explanation>
yue:疑問代詞;「#乜嘢」嘅合音
eng:interrogative pronoun: what, who, when, etc.; contraction of #乜嘢 mat1 je5
<eg>
yue:企喺佢隔籬嗰個係咩人嚟㗎? (kei5 hai2 keoi5 gaak3 lei4 go2 go3 hai6 me1 jan4 lai4 gaa3?)
eng:Who's the person standing next to him?
<eg>
yue:你睇唔睇到佢拎緊咩呀? (nei5 tai2 m4 tai2 dou2 keoi5 ling1 gan2 me1 aa3?)
eng:Can you see what he's carrying?
<eg>
yue:你鍾意佢啲咩? (nei5 zung1 ji3 keoi5 di1 me1?)
eng:What do you like about him?
----
<explanation>
yue:講出數字或文字嗰陣,用以代替唔記得、唔識讀、講唔出嘅數字、文字或者音節
eng:used to replace a syllable, a word or a number which the speaker has forgotten or chooses to omit
<eg>
yue:大陸唔係叫佢做碧咸㗎,叫貝克咩咩咁㗎! (daai6 luk6 m4 hai6 giu3 keoi5 zou6 bik1 haam4 gaa3, giu3 bui3 haak1 me1 me1 gam2 gaa3!)
eng:In Mainland, people don't call him "bik1 haam4", but use the name bui3-haak1-something-something instead.
<eg>
yue:你話四咩八二話? (nei5 waa6 sei3 me1 baat3 ji6 waa2?)
eng:You said 4-what-8-2?
<eg>
yue:我認得佢,佢個名好似叫陳咩文。 (ngo5 jing6 dak1 keoi5, keoi5 go3 meng2 hou2 ci5 giu3 can4 me1 man4.)
eng:I know him - his name is... Chan something-Man.
----
<explanation>
yue:當擺喺一個詞前,表示嗰樣嘢印象模糊,記憶需時,又或者不屑提起
eng:when placed before a word, indicates that the speaker can hardly remember or is rather unwilling to mention it (perhaps out of disdain)
<eg>
yue:「慈禧」係簡稱嚟㗎,全名係咩「孝欽慈禧端佑康頤昭豫莊誠壽恭欽獻崇熙配天興聖顯皇后」呀。 ("ci4 hei1" hai6 gaan2 cing1 lai4 gaa3, cyun4 meng2 hai6 me1 "haau3 jam1 ci4 hei1 dyun1 jau6 hong1 ji4 ciu1 jyu6 zong1 sing4 sau6 gung1 jam1 hin3 sung4 hei1 pui3 tin1 hing1 sing3 hin2 wong4 hau6" aa3.)
eng:Empress Ci Hei is just a short-name. Her full title is - oh I nearly forgot – "Empress Haau Jam Ci Hei Dyun Jau Hong Ji Ciu Jyu Zong Sing Sau Gung Jam Hin Sung Hei Pui Tin Hing Sing Hin".
<eg>
yue:佢寫咗本書,叫咩《後現代深層結構的非本位解讀》喎。 (keoi5 se2 zo2 bun2 syu1, giu3 me1 hau6 jin6 doi6 sam1 cang4 git3 kau3 dik1 fei1 bun2 wai6 gaai2 duk6 wo5.)
eng:He has written a book, which is called – Yuck! I don't want to mention it - "The Postmodern Construction – An Interpretation beyond Its Framework".
----
<explanation>
yue:用嚟代替一啲唔想講出嚟(通常係唔適宜講明,可能係社會禁忌或者令人尷尬嘅)嘅字眼
eng:used as a euphemism to substitute something that one is unwilling to say (often something taboo, embarrassing, inappropriate, etc.)
<eg>
yue:你同佢有冇咩到呀? (nei5 tung4 keoi5 jau5 mou5 me1 dou3 aa3?)
eng:Did you do it with him?
<eg>
yue:聽聞陳伯上個月因為肺癌咩咗喇。 (teng1 man4 can2 baak3 soeng6 go3 jyut6 jan1 wai4 fai3 ngaam4 me1 zo2 laa3.)
eng:I heard that Uncle Chan died last month because of lung cancer.
----
<explanation>
yue:全稱疑問詞,意思係「所有」
eng:universal quantifier: "every"
<eg>
yue:呢間舖咁細,咩都冇得買嘅。 (nei1 gaan1 pou3 gam3 sai3 me1 dou1 mou5 dak1 maai5 ge3.)
eng:This shop is too small. There's nothing to buy.
<eg>
yue:咩人都可以參加呢個活動㗎。 (me1 jan4 dou1 ho2 ji5 caam1 gaa1 nei1 go3 wut6 dung6 gaa3.)
eng:Everyone can join this event.
(pos:助詞)
<explanation>
yue:用嚟構成是非問句,表示疑問、質疑、驚訝,讀起嚟語調短促
eng:used to form yes-no questions and to indicate doubt, challenge or surprise; uttered in a short and abrupt manner
<eg>
yue:你良心過意得去咩? (nei5 loeng4 sam1 gwo3 ji3 dak1 heoi3 me1?)
eng:Don't you feel any guilt at all?
<eg>
yue:咁做好咩? (gam2 zou6 hou2 me1?)
eng:Is that really a good idea?
<eg>
yue:你唔驚佢嬲咩? (nei5 m4 geng1 keoi5 nau1 me1?)
eng:Aren't you worried that he may get mad at you?
<eg>
yue:你鍾意佢咩? (nei5 zung1 ji3 keoi5 me1?)
eng:You like him?
<eg>
yue:乜你今日唔駛返學咩? (mat1 nei5 gam1 jat6 m4 sai2 faan1 hok6 me1?)
eng:Don't you have to go to school today?
<eg>
yue:乜你唔去咩? (mat1 nei5 m4 heoi3 me1?)
eng:Aren't you going?
----
<explanation>
yue:用喺反詰問句,帶有否定嘅口氣,會讀成高降調,可以拉長
eng:used in rhetorical questions to express negation; uttered with a high-falling tone and could be prolonged
<eg>
yue:我呃你有獎咩? (ngo5 ngaak1 nei5 jau5 zoeng2 me1?)
eng:Why the hell would I want to lie to you? (literally 'Am I going to get a prize for fooling you?')
<eg>
yue:同你有親咩!黐到咁埋! (tung4 nei5 jau5 can1 me1! ci1 dou3 gam3 maai4!)
eng:Hey, we're just friends! Don't get so close. (literally 'Are we family? You get so close!')
<eg>
yue:唔想返工都要返㗎,唔使食飯咩?我又唔係二世祖。 (m4 soeng2 faan1 gung1 dou1 jiu3 faan1 gaa2, m4 sai2 sik6 faan6 me1? ngo5 jau6 m4 hai6 ji6 sai3 zou2.)
eng:I don't wanna work, but I still have to. Gotta pay the bills, right? I ain't one of those trust fund babies.
<eg>
yue:你當我傻嘅咩? (nei5 dong3 ngo5 so4 ge3 me1?)
eng:I'm not a freakin' idiot. (literally 'You think I'm silly?')
<eg>
yue:你唔同佢嘈,佢就唔會同你嘈㗎喇咩? (nei5 m4 tung4 keoi5 cou4, keoi5 zau6 m4 wui5 tung4 nei5 cou4 gaa3 laa3 me1?)
eng:Come on. Just because you don't start an argument with her doesn't mean she won't, right?
<eg>
yue:藝術我識條鐵咩? (ngai6 seot6 ngo5 sik1 tiu4 tit3 me1?)
eng:I don't know jack about art.
(pos:擬聲詞)
yue:#羊 嘅叫聲
eng:the bleat of a sheep or goat, equivalent to the use of "baa" in English