我
ngo5
The English phrase 'me' is translated into Cantonese as 我 (ngo5).
我 is a pronoun used by a speaker to refer to themselves as the object of a verb or preposition. It functions as both the subject (I) and the object (me) of a sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun 我 (ngo5) can be modified to express different grammatical functions. To form the plural 'we' or 'us', add the plural suffix 哋 (dei6) to create 我哋. To indicate possession such as 'my' or 'mine', add the possessive particle 嘅 (ge3) after the pronoun to form 我嘅.
How do you pronounce it?
ngo5
Did you know?
- Cantonese speakers often drop the 我 entirely if it is obvious who is speaking, a linguistic feature called 'pro-drop'.
- In very casual Cantonese, if you are talking about yourself to a close friend, you might replace 我 with your own name or a nickname to sound more cute or endearing.
- Adding 哋 (dei6) to 我 does not just create 'we', but can specifically imply an exclusive 'we' that excludes the person being spoken to.
Examples in context
- 俾我諗陣先。Let me think for a while.This sentence shows how to use 我 when asking for time to think.Tatoeba #672822 by nickyeow, translation #53401 by CK
- 俾嗰本書我。Give me that book.This sentence demonstrates using 我 when requesting an object.Tatoeba #3500939 by nickyeow, translation #2917115 by shekitten
- 佢哋俾我走。They let me go.This sentence illustrates using 我 as the object of a verb meaning to let someone go.Tatoeba #5375366 by nickyeow, translation #495626 by CM
- 506 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A student asks a classmate for help with a book.
- 家明 Ka Ming曉彤，你可以借本參考書俾我嗎？hiu2 tung4, nei5 ho2 ji5 ze3 bun2 caam1 kaau3 syu1 bei2 ngo5 maa1?Hiu Tung, can you lend me a reference book?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung冇問題，家明，我而家俾你。mou5 man6 tai4, kaa1 ming4, ngo5 ji4 gaai1 bei2 nei5.No problem, Ka Ming, I'll give it to you now.
- 家明 Ka Ming唔該晒你。m4 goi1 saai3 nei5.Thank you so much.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung唔使客氣。m4 sai2 haak3 hei3.You're welcome.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
