幫我 + V

Do It for Me

Level 3Sounds Like bong1 ngo5

Use 幫我 (bong1 ngo5) + Verb to ask someone to do something for you or on your behalf.

How It Works

The pattern 幫我 (bong1 ngo5) + Verb is a core part of daily Cantonese requests.

1. Word Order
Unlike English, where 'for me' often comes after the verb (e.g., 'Buy it for me'), Cantonese places the benefactive phrase before the verb. The structure is: Subject + 幫 (bong1) + Beneficiary + Verb Phrase.

2. Deputative Meaning
While 幫 (bong1) means 'to help,' in this specific pattern, it often carries a 'deputative' sense. This means the person you are asking might perform the action instead of you. For example, 幫我買飛 (bong1 ngo5 maai5 fei1) usually means 'Buy the tickets for me (while I am elsewhere).' To sound even more natural in these contexts, speakers often add the particle 埋 (maai4) to indicate the person is doing it 'while they are at it' (e.g., 幫我買埋飛呀 bong1 ngo5 maai5 maai4 fei1 aa3).

3. Negation
To say someone 'won't' or 'doesn't' do something for you, the negative marker 唔 (m4) must be placed before 幫 (bong1).
✅ 佢唔幫我買 (He won't buy it for me).
❌ 佢幫我唔買。

4. Common Variation: 幫我手
A very common way to ask for general assistance is 幫我手 (bong1 ngo5 sau2), which literally means 'help my hand' but translates to 'lend me a hand' or 'help me out.'

5. Aspect Markers
When using aspect markers like 咗 (zo2) to indicate completed action, the marker normally attaches to the main verb, not to 幫 (bong1).
✅ 佢幫我買咗飛 (He bought tickets for me).
❌ 佢幫咗我買飛。

6. Register
This is the most common colloquial way to frame a favor. Note that 同 (tung4) is also an extremely common colloquial substitute for 幫 (bong1) in these contexts (e.g., 同我買... meaning 'buy ... for me'). In very formal writing, you might see 為 (wai6) used instead.

Examples (5)

  1. 唔該幫我影張相呀。

    Please take a photo for me.

    Word by Word: Please help me take [classifier] photo [particle].

    A very common way to ask a stranger or friend to take a picture. 唔該 (m4 goi1) adds politeness.

  2. 你可唔可以幫我斟杯水呀？

    Can you pour a glass of water for me?

    Word by Word: You can-not-can help me pour [classifier] water [particle]?

    Uses the 可唔可以 (ho2 m4 ho2 ji5) pattern to ask a polite question.

  3. 佢琴日幫我搬咗屋。

    He moved house for me yesterday.

    Word by Word: He yesterday help me move [aspect] house.

    Note that the aspect marker 咗 (zo2) follows the main verb 搬 (bun1), not the coverb 幫 (bong1).

  4. 幫我攞部手提電腦嚟吖。

    Bring my laptop over for me.

    Word by Word: Help me take [classifier] laptop come [particle].

    Uses 嚟 (lei4) to indicate the object is being brought toward the speaker.

  5. 你幫我話佢知啦。

    Help me tell him.

    Word by Word: You help me tell him know [particle].

    The phrase 話佢知 (waa6 keoi5 zi1) means 'to let him know' or 'tell him'.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing the 'for me' phrase after the verb.

    影張相幫我呀。
    幫我影張相呀。

    In Cantonese, the person benefiting from the action (introduced by 幫 bong1) must come before the verb.

  • Using 畀 (bei2) where you mean ‘for me’.

    Different Meaning畀我買飛。
    幫我買飛。

    畀我買飛 is a good sentence, but it sounds like ‘Let me buy tickets’, not ‘Buy tickets for me’. In Cantonese, 畀 (bei2) means ‘to give’ or ‘to let’. Use 幫我買飛 for a favour.

  • Placing the negative marker before the main verb instead of the coverb.

    幫我唔買飛。
    唔幫我買飛。

    When negating a sentence with a coverb like 幫 (bong1), the negative marker 唔 (m4) must be placed before 幫 (bong1), not before the main action.

How It Connects

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

幫我 + VLevel 3Do It for Me

Learn This First

To use '幫我 + V', you need to understand how the verb 幫 (bong1) functions as a coverb to indicate that an action is being done for someone else. You also need to be familiar with basic pronouns and the standard Cantonese word order where the beneficiary phrase precedes the main action.

Words in This Pattern

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