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In Cantonese, we use the SVO structure, similar to English. There is no gender distinction or singular-plural distinction in verb conjugation. For the neutral aspect, it's straightforward: just subject - verb - object.
However, many verbs in Cantonese use a [verb-noun] (or [verb-object]) structure even when there isn't a logical direct object, which can be confusing for English speakers. To help clarify, we categorise verbs into four types:
Single-character verbs with a direct object:
The most intuitive type of SVO structure, most of these verbs of transitive verbs in English.
Single-character verbs with a complementing noun:
Might be a bit tricky for English speakers to grasp, most of these verbs are intransitive verbs in English.
Separable double-character verbs:
There are 2 characters in these verb, which are separable when used with aspect markers.Non-separable double-character verbs:
There are 2 characters in these verb, which are non-separable when used with aspect markers.
Though we divide them into four types, the first three actually function similarly (which means they usually follow the same rule when used with aspect markers) because they all follow the [verb-noun] (or [verb-object]) structure (動賓結構). Type 4, however, is unique and requires memorization, as it behaves differently from the others.
Single-character Verbs
Verbs with Direct Objects
【Subject - Verb - Object】
我食蘋果
I eat apples.你飲水
You drink water.佢做功課
He/She does homework/assignments.你哋睇書
You guys read (books).
(睇 literally means “to watch”. When convey the meaning of "to read", 睇 cannot be used without a direct object, unlike in English.
"To read" can also translated to 閱讀, but 閱讀 is quite formal and rarely used as a verb in daily conversation.)
Verbs with Complementing Noun
In Cantonese, some verbs (usually intransitive in English) are combined with a noun character to form a "verb-noun phrase". Logically, there should not be a direct object. but grammatically, it looks like the verb is directed at an object (similar to transitive verb). Yet, the whole "verb-noun phrase" actually functions as a single verb.
【Subject - [Verb-Noun] 】
佢哋瞓覺
They sleep.
(瞓 - to sleep ｜ 覺 - sleep or nap)
(瞓覺 literally means "to sleep a nap/a sleep")我哋跑步
We run/jog.
(跑 - to run ｜ 步 - steps)
(跑步 literally means "to run steps", usually used when running as an exercise.)我食飯
I eat.
(lit. I eat rice, which doesn't mean the food is exactly rice. It is just the conventional way of saying "to eat". In English, the direct object of what is being eaten is not always stated. In Cantonese, the word 飯 is used to generalize food, so the direct object is not explicitly stated.)
Additional Note
Some verbs form a "verb-noun phrase" with a noun character because if we just say "Subject - Verb", like 我瞓, 我哋跑 the sentence would sound incomplete. The added noun character is used to make the sentence sounds more complete.
The noun character is conventional, but they can usually be replaced by another direct object if needed. This makes the verb functions as a transitive verb.
For example:
1. I eat is 我食飯 (X 我食), and I eat apples is 我食蘋果
2. You run is 你跑步 (X 你跑), and You run a marathon is 你跑馬拉松
This "verb-noun phrase" concept is important when it comes to the sentence formation of continuous form, perfective form of verbs.
Double-character Verbs
Some verbs in Chinese consist of two characters, where each character is somehow related to the combined meaning but doesn’t convey the exact same meaning of the combined form. This concept is similar to how phrasal verbs work in English. These verbs include separable verbs (離合詞) and non-separable verbs (不離合詞), which is an important concept when dealing with aspect markers.
Separable Verbs
Generally, separable double-character verbs are not used with a direct object, since the second character is usually a noun and appears to function as an object literally.
【Subject - [Separable Double-Character Verb] 】
where the Separable Double-Character Verb usually has a [Verb-Noun] structure
我沖涼
I take a shower.
(沖 - to rinse, to rush ｜ 涼 - refreshing, cool)我行街
I stroll around / go shopping / window shopping (as a leisurely activity).
(行 - to walk ｜ 街 - street)佢哋吹水
They chitchat.
(吹 - to blow ｜ 水 - water)
Non-separable Verbs
【Subject - [Non-separable Double-Character Verb] - Object 】
佢鍾意你
He/She likes you.我打攪佢哋
I bother them.佢哋觀察呢個病人
They observe this patient.我考慮呢個計劃
I consider this plan.你思考呢個問題
You ponder on this question.
You might wonder why it’s important to understand the difference between separable and non-separable double-character verbs if both convey a specific meaning only when combined. This distinction matters when adding aspect markers and modifying the verb aspect. In the coming lessons, we will focus on several verb aspect markers and provide more examples.