幫

For/on Behalf of

Level 2Sounds Like bong1

Use 幫 (bong1) before a verb phrase to mean 'for' or 'on behalf of someone'. Structure: Subject + 幫 + Person + Main Verb Phrase.

How It Works

1. What is 幫 (bong1)?
While 幫 (bong1) can be a standalone verb meaning 'to help', it regularly functions as a coverb (a preposition derived from a verb) meaning 'for', 'on behalf of', or 'in place of'.

2. Sentence Structure
The coverb phrase MUST precede the main verb phrase:
• Subject + 幫 (bong1) + Beneficiary + Main Verb Phrase

For example:
• 我幫你買杯咖啡 (ngo5 bong1 nei5 maai5 bui1 gaa3 fe1) = I will buy a coffee for you.

3. Aspect Markers and Modifiers
• Aspect markers such as 咗 (zo2, completion) or 緊 (gan2, continuous action) usually attach to the main verb rather than to 幫:
佢幫我買咗車票 (keoi5 bong1 ngo5 maai5 zo2 ce1 piu3) = He bought a train ticket for me.
• Polite request phrases like 唔該 (m4 goi1) or 麻煩你 (maa4 faan4 nei5) are placed before the coverb phrase:
唔該幫我影張相 (m4 goi1 bong1 ngo5 jing2 zoeng1 soeng2) = Please take a photo for me.

4. Key Nuances
Unlike the English word 'help', coverbal 幫 does not require two people doing the work together. It often means taking over a task or running an errand entirely on someone else's behalf while they are elsewhere or doing something else.

Examples (4)

  1. 唔該幫我哋影張相呀。

    Could you please take a photo for us?

    Word by Word: Please for us take classifier photo SFP

    The polite request marker 唔該 (m4 goi1) precedes the coverb phrase 幫我哋 (bong1 ngo5 dei6).

  2. 我雙手都唔得閒，麻煩你幫我斟杯水！

    Both my hands are busy; could you pour a glass of water for me?

    Word by Word: My two hands both not free, trouble you for me pour classifier water!

    麻煩你 (maa4 faan4 nei5) acts as a polite preface before the coverb phrase 幫我 (bong1 ngo5).

  3. 我得閒，可以幫你買杯咖啡。

    I'm free, I can buy a cup of coffee for you.

    Word by Word: I free, can for you buy classifier coffee.

    The auxiliary modal verb 可以 (ho2 ji5) is placed before the coverb phrase 幫你 (bong1 nei5).

  4. 佢幫我買咗張車票。

    He bought a train ticket for me.

    Word by Word: He for me buy completed classifier train-ticket.

    Notice that the completed aspect marker 咗 (zo2) attaches directly to the main verb 買 (maai5), not to 幫 (bong1).

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 幫 after the main verb phrase (English word-order transfer).

    *買杯咖啡幫我
    幫我買杯咖啡

    English prepositions come after the action ('buy a coffee for me'), but Cantonese coverb phrases like 幫我 (bong1 ngo5) must come before the main verb.

  • Putting 咗 on 幫 when you mean 'bought it for me'.

    Different Meaning佢幫咗我買
    佢幫我買咗

    佢幫咗我買 is natural: 幫咗我 means he helped me, and 買 says how. To say he bought it for me, put 咗 on the main verb: 佢幫我買咗.

  • Choosing 俾 (bei2) when you want 幫我.

    Different Meaning買杯咖啡俾我
    幫我買杯咖啡

    買杯咖啡俾我 is natural and means 'buy a coffee and give it to me'. 幫我買杯咖啡 means 'do the buying on my behalf'. 俾 (bei2) is about handing something to a recipient, while 幫 (bong1) marks doing something for someone.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

幫Level 2For/on Behalf of

Learn This First

To use '幫' (bong1) correctly, you need to understand how Cantonese uses 'coverbs'—words that act like prepositions but function like verbs. These phrases (幫 + person) are placed before the main action. You should already be comfortable with basic sentence structure and pronouns.

Words in This Pattern

帮