V+清楚

Do It Clearly

Level 3Sounds Like cing1 co2

Use V + 清楚 (cing1 co2) to show that the result of an action is clear or legible. It is commonly used with verbs of perception (seeing, hearing) and cognition (thinking, asking).

How It Works

The pattern V + 清楚 (cing1 co2) is a resultative complement construction. While English often uses manner adverbs to describe how you do something (like 'carefully' or 'clearly'), Cantonese frequently uses resultatives to emphasize the state achieved after the action.

1. Usage with Different Verbs:

  • Perception: 睇 (tai2 - see), 聽 (teng1 - hear). Example: 睇清楚 (see clearly). Note: With active verbs like 睇 and 聽, this often translates to doing something 'carefully' or 'thoroughly' (e.g., 睇清楚 - look carefully).
  • Production: 講 (gong2 - speak), 寫 (se2 - write). Example: 講清楚 (explain clearly / make something clear).
  • Cognition: 諗 (nam2 - think), 問 (man6 - ask). Example: 諗清楚 (think through thoroughly/carefully).
  • Action/Sorting: 搞 (gaau2 - do/make/sort). Example: 搞清楚 (figure out clearly / get something straight).

2. Word Order, Objects, and Aspect:
In basic statements, the complement 清楚 follows the verb directly. If there is a direct object, the complement usually comes before the object: V + 清楚 + Object (e.g., 睇清楚個牌 - tai2 cing1 co2 go3 paai4 - see the sign clearly). However, Cantonese frequently brings the object to the front of the sentence via object topicalisation (Object + Subject + V + 清楚), such as 個牌我睇清楚喇 (go3 paai4 ngo5 tai2 cing1 co2 laa3 - I saw the sign clearly). If you use the aspect marker 咗 (zo2) to show completion, it is placed after the complement but before the object: V + 清楚 + 咗 + Object (e.g., 睇清楚咗個牌 - tai2 cing1 co2 zo2 go3 paai4 - saw the sign clearly). Note that in everyday spoken Cantonese, speakers often drop the 咗 entirely or use the sentence-final particle 喇 (laa3) instead to indicate a change of state or completion.

3. Negation, Potential, and Manner:

  • Past Result: To say you did not do it clearly, use 冇 (mou5) before the verb: 冇聽清楚 (didn't hear clearly).
  • Not Yet: To say you haven't done it clearly yet, use 未 (mei6) before the verb: 未睇清楚 (haven't seen it clearly yet).
  • Potential Negative: To say you cannot do it clearly, use V + 唔 (m4) + 清楚: 睇唔清楚 (cannot see clearly).
  • Potential vs. Manner: In Cantonese, V + 得 + 清楚 is usually the potential form ('can do clearly'). To express manner ('does it clearly'), it is clearer to add an intensifier like 好 (hou2): 佢講得好清楚 (He speaks very clearly).
  • Manner Negative: To say someone does not do it clearly (manner), use V + 得 + 唔 + 清楚 (e.g., 講得唔清楚 - 'speaks unclearly' / poor manner). This contrasts with the Potential Negative V + 唔 + 清楚 (e.g., 講唔清楚 - 'cannot speak clearly' / unable to articulate).

4. Question Forms:

  • Completion: To ask if someone has done it clearly yet, use V + 清楚 + 未: 睇清楚未呀？ (Have you seen it clearly yet?).
  • Potential A-not-A: To ask if someone can do it clearly, use V + 唔 + V + 得 + 清楚: 睇唔睇得清楚？ (Can you see clearly?). Alternatively, you can use the very common structure V + 得 + 清(楚) + 唔 + 清楚: 睇得清唔清楚？ (Can you see clearly?).
  • Past A-not-A: To ask if someone did it clearly in the past, use 有冇 + V + 清楚: 有冇睇清楚呀？ (Did you see it carefully/clearly?).

5. Commands, Requests, and Emphasis:

  • Requests: To ask someone to do something more clearly, add 啲 (di1) after 清楚. This is very common in commands: 講清楚啲 (gong2 cing1 co2 di1 - speak more clearly) or 睇清楚啲 (tai2 cing1 co2 di1 - look more carefully).
  • Reduplication: For extra emphasis, 清楚 can be reduplicated as 清清楚楚 (cing1 cing1 co2 co2), meaning 'very clearly' or 'crystal clear': 睇得清清楚楚 (tai2 dak1 cing1 cing1 co2 co2 - can see it crystal clear).

6. Nuance vs. Understanding:
清楚 refers to the clarity of information or detail. While it overlaps with 明 (ming4 - to understand), 清楚 focuses on the quality of the input or the thoroughness of the process, whereas 明 focuses on the mental 'click' of comprehension.

Examples (6)

  1. 你聽清楚我講乜嘢先啦。

    Listen clearly to what I'm saying first.

    Word by Word: you hear clear I say what first [particle]

    Here, 聽清楚 (teng1 cing1 co2) is used as an instruction to ensure the listener hears the words distinctly.

  2. 我頭先冇睇清楚佢個樣。

    I didn't see his face clearly just now.

    Word by Word: I just now not see clear he [classifier] face

    Negation with 冇 (mou5) indicates the result of 'seeing clearly' was not achieved in the past.

  3. 呢件事你要諗清楚先好做。

    You need to think clearly about this matter before you do it.

    Word by Word: this [classifier] matter you need think clear first good do

    諗清楚 (nam2 cing1 co2) is a very common cognitive use meaning to 'think through' or 'deliberate carefully'. Notice how the object (呢件事) is brought to the front as a topic.

  4. 請你喺度寫清楚你個名。

    Please write your name clearly here.

    Word by Word: please you at here write clear you [classifier] name

    Used with a verb of production (寫 - se2) to ensure the output is legible.

  5. 我睇唔清楚嗰個字。

    I can't see that character clearly.

    Word by Word: I see not clear that [classifier] character

    This uses the potential negative form (唔 - m4 inserted in the middle) to show inability to see clearly.

  6. 我睇清楚喇！

    I've seen it clearly now!

    Word by Word: I see clear [particle]

    Using the sentence-final particle 喇 (laa3) to indicate a change of state or completion of seeing it clearly.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 'clearly' before the verb like an English adverb.

    你清楚講多次。
    你講清楚多次。

    In Cantonese, resultative complements must follow the verb. You cannot place 清楚 (cing1 co2) before the verb to describe the result.

  • Using 唔 (m4) to negate a past result.

    我頭先唔睇清楚。
    我頭先冇睇清楚。

    To negate a result that didn't happen in the past, you must use 冇 (mou5). Using 唔 (m4) in the middle (睇唔清楚) changes the meaning to 'cannot see clearly' (potential).

How It Connects

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V+清楚Level 3Do It Clearly

Learn This First

The pattern 'V+清楚' is a resultative construction where the adjective '清楚' (clear/clearly) is attached to a verb of perception or communication (like looking, listening, or speaking) to indicate that the action was performed to the point of being clear or properly understood.

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