佢哋
keoi⁵ dei⁶vernacular
The Cantonese word for 'they' is 佢哋 (keoi⁵ dei⁶). Wiktionary also lists 他們 / 他们 (taa¹ mun⁴).
Meaning: third-person plural pronoun (pron)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 佢哋 | keoi⁵ dei⁶ | vernacular |
| 他們 / 他们 | taa¹ mun⁴ | literary |
佢哋 is used as a third-person plural pronoun. In informal speech, it functions as both the subject and the object of a sentence.
What does it mean word for word?
佢哋 is composed of the third-person singular pronoun 佢 (meaning he, she or it) and the plural suffix 哋.
Which one should you use?
佢哋 is the vernacular form used in spoken Cantonese, while 他們 or 他们 is used in formal writing or when reading aloud from a text.
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix 哋 is a plural marker added to personal pronouns to make them plural, such as in 佢哋 (they) or 我哋 (we).
How do you pronounce it?
keoi⁵ dei⁶
Did you know?
- The written form 他們 is virtually never spoken in a natural conversation. If you use it in a casual setting, you will sound like you are reading from a textbook.
- The character 佢 used in 佢哋 is a specialized character used to represent the spoken pronoun, whereas the standard character for 'he' is 他.
- In very informal settings, people might use the word 啲人 (those people) instead of 佢哋 to create a social distance between themselves and the group.
Examples in context
- 佢哋就開始。They are about to start.This sentence shows the use of 佢哋 to indicate a group about to start an action.Tatoeba #4534109 by kaenif, translation #306850 by CK
- 佢哋俾我走。They let me go.This sentence demonstrates 佢哋 acting as the subject in a sentence about being let go.Tatoeba #5375366 by nickyeow, translation #495626 by CM
- 佢哋唔食肉。They don't eat meat.This sentence uses 佢哋 to describe a group's dietary habits.Tatoeba #5943323 by nickyeow, translation #719207 by CM
- 佢哋好開心。(keoi5 dei6 hou2 hoi1 sam1)They are very happy.
- 我見過佢哋。(ngo5 gin3 gwo3 keoi5 dei6)I've seen them.
- 252 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a cafe, talking about some friends who arrived earlier.
- 美玲 Mei Ling佢哋喺邊度？keoi5 dei1 hai2 bin1 dou6?Where are they?
- 子健 Tsz Kin佢哋仲未到。keoi5 dei1 zung6 mei6 dou3.They haven't arrived yet.
- 美玲 Mei Ling佢哋仲有幾耐先到？keoi5 dei1 zung6 jau5 gei2 noi6 sin1 dou3?How much longer until they arrive?
- 子健 Tsz Kin聽講佢哋就快到喇。ting1 gong2 keoi5 dei1 zau6 faai3 dou3 laa3.I heard they will be here soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “they” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
