我嘅
ngo⁵ ge³
The English word 'my' is expressed in Cantonese as 我嘅 (ngo⁵ ge³). Wiktionary also lists 我的 (ngo⁵ dik¹).
Meaning: belonging to me (det)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 我嘅 | ngo⁵ ge³ | |
| 我的 | ngo⁵ dik¹ | formal, literary |
The phrase is used as a determiner to indicate that something belongs to the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed by placing the possessive particle 嘅, which indicates belonging, after the pronoun 我.
Which one should you use?
我嘅 is the standard way to say 'my' in spoken Cantonese, whereas 我的 is used in more literary or formal contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
我嘅 is the colloquial form used in everyday speech. 我的 is a formal and literary form used in writing.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the possessive, the particle 嘅 is placed directly after the pronoun 我.
How do you pronounce it?
ngo⁵ ge³
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'my' always precedes the noun, Cantonese allows for the possessive to be implied through relationship words. For instance, speakers often omit 我嘅 when talking about 爸爸 (father) or 媽媽 (mother).
- The formal version 我的 is virtually never spoken aloud in a natural conversation in Hong Kong or Guangzhou. Using it in a casual setting would make the speaker sound like they are reading a textbook or a script.
- The particle 嘅 is a Cantonese-specific evolution. It differs from the Mandarin possessive 的, reflecting the unique development of Cantonese as a distinct spoken language from Standard Chinese.
Examples in context
- 呢啲書唔係我嘅。They aren't my books.This sentence shows how to use 我嘅 to negate ownership of books.Tatoeba #5355362 by nickyeow, translation #41948 by CK
- 嗰對鞋唔係我嘅。Those aren't my shoes.This sentence shows how to use 我嘅 to negate ownership of shoes.Tatoeba #9535838 by nickyeow, translation #6888944 by CK
- 呢個係我嘅公司地址。This is my business address.This sentence shows how to use 我嘅 to indicate a business address.Tatoeba #5942692 by nickyeow, translation #56209 by CK
- 我嘅書My book
- 我嘅家人My family
- 我嘅朋友My friend
- 我嘅嘢好重要My stuff is very important
- 我嘅嘢唔見咗I've lost my stuff
- 151 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yating and Zhiqiang are looking for a lost umbrella.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting呢把傘係唔係我嘅？ni go san hai m hai ngo ge?Is this umbrella mine?
- 志強 Chi Keung唔係，我嘅係黑色嘅。m hai, ngo ge hai hak sik ge.No, mine is black.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting咁呢把係邊個嘅？gam ni ba hai bin go ge?Then whose is this one?
- 志強 Chi Keung應該係我哋同事我嘅。jing goi hai ngo dei tung si ngo ge.It should be my colleague's.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
