V+得過

In Cantonese, V + 得過 is a potential complement construction. It starts with a literal spatial meaning and extends into semi-lexicalized meanings of worthiness or reliability.

1. Key Usage Categories:

• Literal Spatial Movement: Literally means 'can physically V across/over'. For example, 跳得過 (tiu3 dak1 gwo3) means 'can jump over', and 行得過 (haang4 dak1 gwo3) means 'can walk across/pass through'.
• Trustworthiness: Used with verbs like 信 (seon3, trust), it means 'reliable'. 信得過 (seon3 dak1 gwo3, trustworthy) vs 信唔過 (seon3 m4 gwo3, unreliable).
• Worthiness & Quality: Used with verbs of perception, consumption, or action to mean 'worth the effort' or 'decent quality'. 睇得過 (tai2 dak1 gwo3) can mean 'worth watching' or 'presentable/looks okay'. 食得過 (sik6 dak1 gwo3) means 'worth eating' or 'decent quality for the price'. Other highly common examples include 買得過 (maai5 dak1 gwo3, worth buying) and 諗得過 (nam2 dak1 gwo3, worth considering).
• Physical & Metaphorical Surpassing: With action verbs, it means 'can defeat' or 'can surpass'. For example, 跑得過 (paau2 dak1 gwo3) means 'can outrun' and 打得過 (daa2 dak1 gwo3) means 'can win in a fight'. Note that Cantonese speakers also frequently use the alternative V + 得贏 (dak1 jeng4) for this category (e.g., 打得贏, 跑得贏). Metaphorically, it means getting past someone's perception, such as 瞞得過 (mun4 dak1 gwo3, can deceive/get past someone).

2. Negation and Questions:
The explicit negative formula is V + 唔 + 過 (V m4 gwo3), which applies to all four categories. It means 'cannot physically cross' (e.g., 行唔過), 'cannot be trusted' (e.g., 信唔過), 'not worth doing' (e.g., 買唔過), or 'cannot surpass' (e.g., 打唔過). To ask a question, use the A-not-A structure V 唔 V 得過 (e.g., 信唔信得過？ seon3 m4 seon3 dak1 gwo3? - Is it trustworthy?). Note that when used as an adjective modifying a noun, the negation 唔 is sometimes placed at the front: 一個唔信得過嘅人 (jat1 go3 m4 seon3 dak1 gwo3 ge3 jan4 - an untrustworthy person), alongside the standard formula 一個信唔過嘅人 (jat1 go3 seon3 m4 gwo3 ge3 jan4).

3. Object Placement:
The position of the object depends on the meaning:

• Literal Spatial Movement: The obstacle or location follows the complement (V + 得過 + Obstacle/Location). For example, 跳得過個欄 (tiu3 dak1 gwo3 go3 laan4 - can jump over the hurdle).
• Trustworthiness & Surpassing: The object usually follows the complement (V + 得過 + Object). For example, 信得過佢 (seon3 dak1 gwo3 keoi5 - can trust him) or 打得過佢 (daa2 dak1 gwo3 keoi5 - can defeat him).
• Worthiness & Quality: The object is almost always fronted as the topic (Topic + V + 得過). For example, 呢部手機買得過 (ni1 bou6 sau2 gei1 maai5 dak1 gwo3 - this phone is worth buying).

4. Register:
While the 'Trustworthiness' and 'Surpassing' usages (like 信得過 and 打得過) are shared with Standard Written Chinese and Mandarin, the 'Worthiness & Quality' usage is highly colloquial. In formal contexts, you would use 值得 (zik6 dak1, worth) before the verb instead for worthiness.

5. Important Distinctions:

• Do not confuse 食得過 (worth eating) with 食得 (sik6 dak1). The latter is used to mean 'edible', 'safe to eat', or very commonly, 'can eat a lot / has a big appetite' (e.g., 佢好食得 keoi5 hou2 sik6 dak1). Similarly, 睇得過 refers to quality or being worth watching, while 睇得 can mean 'can see', 'is allowed to watch', or very commonly in colloquial Cantonese, 'good-looking' or 'attractive' when describing a person.
• Learners often confuse V + 得過 (e.g., 買得過 - a sound/safe purchase) with 抵 + V (e.g., 抵買 dai2 maai5 - good deal/value for money). 買得過 focuses on the quality or reliability of the purchase, while 抵買 focuses on the price being a bargain.