有
jau⁵
In Cantonese, 'have' is expressed as 有 (jau⁵).
有 is used to express possession, meaning 'to possess'. It is also used to indicate existence, similar to the English phrases 'there is' or 'there are'.
Meaning: to possess (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'do not have' or 'not have', use the negative form 冇. When you want to ask a 'yes/no' question regarding possession, you can use the form 有冇 (have or not have) instead of adding a question particle at the end of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
jau⁵
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 唔有 to express that you do not have something. Instead, you should use the correct negative form 冇.
Did you know?
- If you are experiencing a medical symptom like a cough, you use 有 to express it. In Cantonese, the concept of 'having' a symptom is identical to the concept of 'possessing' a physical item.
- Unlike English, which uses 'there is' or 'there are' to show existence, Cantonese uses 有 to imply that an object is physically present and available in the immediate environment.
- Using 有 to describe an event occurring is common. For instance, to say 'there is a meeting', one says 有會議, which uses the same word used for possessing a physical object.
Examples in context
- 你有冇筆呀？Do you have a pen?This sentence is useful for asking if someone possesses a pen.Tatoeba #1780719 by nickyeow, translation #33771 by CK
- 我有一隻牛。I have a cow.This sentence is useful for stating the possession of a cow.Tatoeba #10645907 by clowergen, translation #2777841 by CM
- 你有冇喉糖呀？Do you have cough drops?This sentence is useful for asking if someone possesses cough drops.Tatoeba #661182 by nickyeow, translation #51338 by CK
- 我有一本書。I have a book.
- 我有嘢講。I have something to say.
- 267 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking in the office.
- 志強 Chi Keung雅婷，你有冇我把雨傘？aa6 ting4, nei5 jau5 mou5 ngo5 ba2 jyu5 san1?Ya Ting, do you have my umbrella?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting我冇呀，你睇下個枱面。ngo5 mou5 aa3, nei5 tai2 haa5 go3 toi2 min6.I don't have it, check the tabletop.
- 志強 Chi Keung唔喺度，我記得我俾咗你。m4 hai2 dou3, ngo5 gei3 dak1 ngo5 bei2 zo2 nei5.It's not here, I remember I gave it to you.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting係喇！我而家有，喺我個袋度。hai6 laa1! ngo5 ji1 gaa1 jau5, hai2 ngo5 go3 doi2 dou3.Oh right! I have it now, it's in my bag.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “have” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
