咩嚟㗎？
me1 lai4 gaa3?
The Cantonese phrase for "what is it?" is 咩嚟㗎？ (me1 lai4 gaa3?)
You use this phrase when you see an object and want to know its identity or name.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 咩 (what), 嚟 (to come/to be) and 㗎 (a sentence-final particle used for emphasis or questioning).
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding 係 (to be) at the beginning to create 係咩嚟㗎？ makes the sentence more grammatically complete, although 咩嚟㗎？ is the standard colloquial form.
How do you pronounce it?
me1 lai4 gaa3?
Did you know?
- Using the phrase 咩嚟㗎？ while pointing with a chin flick rather than a finger is a common non-verbal cue in casual Cantonese settings.
- In Cantonese, the verb 嚟 literally means 'to come', implying that the object has 'come into' the speaker's field of vision.
- Because Cantonese is a tonal language, changing the tone of 咩 can change the phrase from a genuine question into a rhetorical expression of disbelief.
Examples in context
- 係咩嚟㗎？ (hai6 me1 lei4 gaa3?) / 嗰個係電腦。(go2 go3 hai6 din6 nou5.)What is it? / That is a computer.
- 嗰個係乜嘢？ (go2 go3 hai6 mat1 je5?) / 嗰個係電視。(go2 go3 hai6 din6 si6.)What is that? / That is a television.
- 呢件係咩嚟㗎？ni1 gin6 hai6 me1 lei4 ga3?What is this item?
- 你攞住嗰件係咩嚟㗎？nei5 lo2 zyu6 go2 gin6 hai6 me1 lei4 ga3?What is that thing you are holding?
Example conversation
Chi Keung sees a strange fruit on the table.
- 志強 Chi Keung曉彤，呢個係咩嚟㗎？Hiu Tung, ni go hai me lai ga?Hiu Tung, what is this?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung呢個係一種熱帶水果。ni go hai jat zung jit toi sui gwo.This is a type of tropical fruit.
- 志強 Chi Keung好奇怪嘅樣。hou kei gwaai ge joeng.It looks very strange.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung你可以試一啖。nei ho ji si jat daam.You can try a bite.
