Dropping the possessive marker

In Cantonese, possession is often marked by 嘅 (ge3). However, for specific categories of nouns, dropping this marker is the standard way to speak. This is known as Zero-Marker Possession. This pattern is most robust and frequent when the possessor is a basic pronoun like 我 (ngo5), 你 (nei5), or 佢 (keoi5). It also applies frequently to plural pronouns like 我哋 (ngo5 dei6) and proper nouns (e.g., 阿明 aa3 ming4).

1. When to drop the marker:

• Kinship terms: Almost all family members, not just immediate ones (e.g., 我公公 ngo5 gung1 gung1 - my maternal grandfather; 我姑媽 ngo5 gu1 maa1 - my aunt).
• Close Social Ties: People you have a fixed social relationship with, like a boss (老細 lou5 sai3) or a teacher (老師 lou5 si1).
• Places of Belonging: Locations that represent your 'base,' such as home (屋企 uk1 kei5), school (學校 hok6 haau6), or company (公司 gung1 si1).

2. The Nuance of Inclusion:
If you choose to include 嘅 (ge3) with a family member (e.g., 我嘅媽媽 ngo5 ge3 maa1 maa1), it isn't 'wrong,' but it sounds distant, formal, or contrastive—as if you are emphasizing 'MY mother' as opposed to someone else's.

3. Limitations and Alternatives:

• Objects: You cannot drop the marker for objects like books or cars. While you can use 嘅 (ge3), the Possessor + CL + Noun pattern (where 'CL' stands for Classifier or Measure Word, which must match the noun, e.g., 本 bun2 for 書 syu1) is actually the standard colloquial method for showing possession of singular objects in daily speech (e.g., 我本書 ngo5 bun2 syu1 - my book). For plural objects, you must use 啲 (di1) or 嘅 (ge3) (e.g., 我啲書 ngo5 di1 syu1 - my books). If a specific quantity is involved, the pattern becomes Possessor + Number + CL + Noun (e.g., 我兩本書 ngo5 loeng5 bun2 syu1 - my two books).
• Body Parts: Cantonese usually requires you to use the same Possessor + CL + Noun pattern for body parts (e.g., 我隻手 ngo5 zek3 sau2 - my hand, using the classifier 隻 zek3).
• Abstract Nouns: Abstract nouns generally require 嘅 (ge3) or a specific classifier. For example, 我嘅責任 (ngo5 ge3 zaak3 jam6 - my responsibility) or 我個諗法 (ngo5 go3 nam2 faat3 - my thought/idea).
• Plurals: Because Cantonese nouns are inherently numberless, a phrase like 我朋友 (ngo5 pang4 jau5) can perfectly mean "my friends" depending on context. While you can use 啲 (di1) to explicitly mark plurality, it is not strictly required for these close relationships.