Cantonese pronouns
Encyclopedia
Pronouns in Cantonese are less numerous than their Indo-European languages
counterparts.
There exist many more pronouns in Classical Chinese
and in literary works, including (jyu) or (ji) for "you", and (ng) for "I" (see Chinese honorifics
) and However, they are not encountered in colloquial speech.
or in some daily phrases (especially ones about family or concepts very close to the owner) this is often omitted, e.g. (ngo lou mou) or replace possession indicator with classifier, e.g. (ngo gaa ce).
For serious use, (ling) to replace , as in (ling zyun) "Your father" as (nei lou dau). In literary style, (kei) is sometimes used for "his" or "her"; e.g., (kei fu) means "his father" or "her father".
In imperial times, the pronoun for "I" was commonly omitted when speaking politely or to someone with higher social status. "I" was usually replaced with special pronouns to address specific situations. Examples include gwaa jan during early Chinese history
and zam after the Qing dynasty
when the Emperor
is speaking to his subjects. When the subjects speak to the Emperor, they address themselves as (shen), or "your official". It is extremely impolite and taboo
to address the Emperor as "you" or to address oneself as "I".
In modern times, the practice of self-deprecatory terms is still used. In formal letters, the term (gwai; lit. important) is used for "you" and "your"; e.g., refers to "your company". (bun jan; lit. this person) is used to refer to oneself.
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
counterparts.
Personal pronouns
| Person | Singular | Plural* | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Classic | General | Classic | |||||
| First person | - ngo | - ngo (acc.) - ng (nom.) | - ngo dei | - ngo dang - ng dang | ||||
| Second person | - nei | - ji - jyu | - nei dei | - ji dang - jyu dang | ||||
| Third person | - keoi | - kei (gen.) | - keoi dei | - kei dang | ||||
* The character to indicate plurality is 哋 (dei), and classic 等 (dang).
There exist many more pronouns in Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
and in literary works, including (jyu) or (ji) for "you", and (ng) for "I" (see Chinese honorifics
Chinese honorifics
Chinese honorifics were developed due to class consciousness and Confucian principles of order and respect in Ancient and Imperial China. The Chinese polite language also affects Japanese honorifics conceptually; both emphasized the idea of classes and in-group vs. out-group. So the language used...
) and However, they are not encountered in colloquial speech.
The possessive pronoun
To indicate possession (ge) is appended to the pronoun. In literatureLiterature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
or in some daily phrases (especially ones about family or concepts very close to the owner) this is often omitted, e.g. (ngo lou mou) or replace possession indicator with classifier, e.g. (ngo gaa ce).
For serious use, (ling) to replace , as in (ling zyun) "Your father" as (nei lou dau). In literary style, (kei) is sometimes used for "his" or "her"; e.g., (kei fu) means "his father" or "her father".
The reflexive pronoun
The singular personal pronouns (for humans) may be made reflexive by appending (zi gei), "self".Pronouns in imperial times and self-deprecatory
- See also Cantonese honorifics.
In imperial times, the pronoun for "I" was commonly omitted when speaking politely or to someone with higher social status. "I" was usually replaced with special pronouns to address specific situations. Examples include gwaa jan during early Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
and zam after the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
when the Emperor
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
is speaking to his subjects. When the subjects speak to the Emperor, they address themselves as (shen), or "your official". It is extremely impolite and taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
to address the Emperor as "you" or to address oneself as "I".
In modern times, the practice of self-deprecatory terms is still used. In formal letters, the term (gwai; lit. important) is used for "you" and "your"; e.g., refers to "your company". (bun jan; lit. this person) is used to refer to oneself.