得

OK / That Works

Level 1Sounds Like dak1

In Cantonese, 得 (dak1) means 'OK', 'fine', 'feasible', or 'that works'. You can use it as a standalone answer like 得！ (dak1! - 'OK!'), ask 得唔得呀？ (dak1 m4 dak1 aa3? - 'Is that OK?'), or negate it with 唔得 (m4 dak1 - 'Not OK / not allowed').

How It Works

1. Standalone Agreement & Questions
When responding to a request or plan, saying 得！ (dak1!) confirms that it works or grants permission. To ask if a plan is acceptable, use the A-not-A question format 得唔得（呀）？ (dak1 m4 dak1 aa3?).

2. Expressing Feasibility with 就得
Combine a condition or action with 就得 (zau6 dak1) to mean 'doing [X] will be fine' or 'just [X] and it'll work'.

3. Adding Sentence-Final Particles
得 frequently tags along with sentence-final particles to adjust tone:
• 得啦 (dak1 laa1): Reassuring ('It'll be fine') or slightly impatient ('That's enough').
• 得㗎喇 (dak1 gaa3 laa3): 'That's good enough / no further action needed'.

4. Key Usage Notes
• Adverb Restriction: Do not use 好 (hou2, 'very') before 得 to mean 'very available' or 'very OK' when agreeing to plans. In Cantonese, 好得 (hou2 dak1) is a broad compliment meaning 'great / awesome / attractive / effective' (used for food, looks, quality, or performance). To say 'very fine' or 'very good', use 好好 (hou2 hou2).
• Mandarin Difference: Unlike Mandarin where structural 得 cannot stand alone as 'OK', Cantonese 得 is a full stative predicate.

Examples (4)

  1. 得唔得呀？——得，冇問題！

    Is that okay? -- Yes, fine / no problem!

    Word by Word: OK not OK particle? -- OK, no problem!

    Demonstrates the standard question form '得唔得呀' (dak1 m4 dak1 aa3) and the standalone positive response '得' (dak1).

  2. 呢個紙板箱，放喺地下就得㗎喇。

    Just leave this cardboard box on the floor and that'll do fine.

    Word by Word: This classifier cardboard box, put at floor then OK particle.

    Shows how '[Action] + 就得' (zau6 dak1) is used to indicate that an action is sufficient.

  3. 唔得，呢度唔准影相。

    No / Not allowed, taking photos is prohibited here.

    Word by Word: Not OK, here not allow take photo.

    Demonstrates the negative form '唔得' (m4 dak1) used to refuse permission.

  4. 你聽日過嚟幫手，得唔得？

    Can you come over to help tomorrow, is that okay?

    Word by Word: You tomorrow come over help hand, OK not OK?

    Shows '得唔得' placed at the end of a clause to check if a proposal works for the listener.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 好得 (hou2 dak1) to mean 'very available' or 'very OK'

    我今晚好得。
    我今晚好得閒。

    In Cantonese, 好得 (hou2 dak1) is a broad compliment meaning 'great', 'awesome', 'attractive', or 'effective' (e.g. for food, appearance, or quality). It cannot be used to mean 'very free / available' or 'very OK' for plans. To express availability or agreement, use 得閒 (dak1 haan4) or standalone 得 (dak1).

  • Placing 得 (dak1) before a verb like English 'can'

    我得去睇戲。
    我可以去睇戲。

    To express capability or permission before a main verb, use 可以 (ho2 ji5). Standalone 得 (dak1) sits at the end of a clause or functions as a standalone predicate.

How It Connects

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得Level 1OK / That Works

Learn This First

To use '得' (OK / that works) effectively, learners need to understand how Cantonese handles yes-no questions by repeating the verb or using the 'X-not-X' structure, as well as how sentence-final particles like '呀' soften the tone of the interaction.

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