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Grammar

The particle "le 了" at the end of a sentence indicates a change in status or a new situation. This usage frequently appears in sentences with an adjective or a noun as the predicate, as well as in sentences using the verbs "shì 是" (to be) or "yǒu 有" (to have; to be), among others. Please note the meaning of the following sentences:

G91

Please note that the particle "了" here is similar to the "laa3 喇" in Cantonese.

G92

To determine whether a status has changed, it is common to use a question with "ma 吗".

G93

If the status has not changed, "méi yǒu 没有" is often used in the negative form. However, if a sentence includes "", the negative form is "bú shì 不是". The questions and the corresponding answers (both affirmative and negative) are shown as follows:

G94

Note that the "了" in a negative answer should be removed.

The optative verb "会" is often used before a verb to express an ability, and this kind of ability can be acquired through study or practice. For instance, "huì kāichē 开车" (to be able to drive), "huì huáxuě 会滑雪" (to be able to ski), and "huì shuō Hànyǔ 会说汉语" (to be able to speak Chinese).

 

G95

Note that the Cantonese equivalent of "" is "sik1 識".

G96

The optative verb "可能" expresses possibility and often refers to uncertainty. The discrepancy between the negation of the term "可能" in Cantonese and Mandarin is noteworthy. In Cantonese, "冇可能" is employed instead of "唔可能", as illustrated in the table provided below: G97

G98

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