A嘅B + Classifier + Noun

When stacking possessives (like 'A's B's C'), Cantonese naturally applies the foundational Possessor + CL + Noun rule. Instead of repeating 嘅 (ge3) multiple times (which sounds unnatural), you simply treat 'A嘅B' as the complex possessor and slot it into the standard formula: A嘅B + CL + Noun. For example, 阿明嘅同事部電腦 (aa3 ming4 ge3 tung4 si6 bou6 din6 nou5 - Ming's colleague's computer).

Key Rules:

• Structure: The first possessive link uses 嘅 (ge3) (or it can be dropped if the relationship is close, especially for kinship terms like 我阿媽部手機 ngo5 aa3 maa1 bou6 sau2 gei1 or institutions like 我公司部冷氣 ngo5 gung1 si1 bou6 laang5 hei3), and the final link uses a bare classifier. As a core feature of definite possessives in spoken Cantonese, you can optionally insert the demonstrative 嗰 (go2) before the final classifier for emphasis (e.g., 阿明嘅同事嗰部電腦 aa3 ming4 ge3 tung4 si6 go2 bou6 din6 nou5).
• Classifiers at Any Level: To avoid stacking, classifiers can actually replace 嘅 at any level of the possessive chain. For example, you can say 我個朋友架車 (ngo5 go3 pang4 jau5 gaa3 ce1) or 阿明個同事部電腦 (aa3 ming4 go3 tung4 si6 bou6 din6 nou5).
• Kinship Terms at the End: If the final possessed noun is a kinship term, it naturally takes the general classifier 個 (go3). For example, 阿明同事個阿媽 (aa3 ming4 tung4 si6 go3 aa3 maa1 - Ming's colleague's mom) is a primary, natural structure, alongside zero-marking (阿明同事阿媽 aa3 ming4 tung4 si6 aa3 maa1).
• Classifier Agreement: The classifier must match the final possessed noun, not the possessor. For example, use 架 (gaa3) for a car (車 ce1), not 個 (go3) for the friend (朋友 pang4 jau5).
• Definiteness: This structure is strictly definite, meaning 'that specific [noun] belonging to A's B'.
• Plurality and Mass Nouns: If the final noun is plural or an uncountable/mass noun, the specific classifier is replaced by 啲 (di1) (e.g., A 嘅 B 啲 錢 A ge3 B di1 cin2).
• Indefinite Possessives: To form an indefinite possessive (e.g., 'one of A's B's cars'), you actually need to keep 嘅 before the number and classifier: 我朋友嘅一架車 (ngo5 pang4 jau5 ge3 jat1 gaa3 ce1). Note that dropping 嘅 to say 我朋友一架車 is ungrammatical. To say 'my friend's one car' (implying it is the only one they own), a native speaker would just use the standard definite structure 我朋友架車 or add a word like 唯一 (wai4 jat1), as in 我朋友唯一嗰架車. You can also use 其中 (kei4 zung1) for 'one of' (e.g., 我朋友其中一架車 ngo5 pang4 jau5 kei4 zung1 jat1 gaa3 ce1).
• Adding Numbers: Adding a demonstrative is the standard way to include a number in this pattern (e.g., 我朋友嗰三架車 ngo5 pang4 jau5 go2 saam1 gaa3 ce1 for 'my friend's three cars').
• Abstract Nouns: For abstract nouns that don't easily take a specific classifier (e.g., 自由 zi6 jau4 'freedom', 責任 zaak3 jam6 'responsibility'), speakers often revert to using 嘅 (ge3) or the generic classifier 個 (go3).
• Dropping the Final Noun: If the context is clear, the final noun can be omitted, leaving just the classifier at the end (e.g., 我朋友架 ngo5 pang4 jau5 gaa3).
• Register: This pattern is strictly for colloquial spoken Cantonese. In formal Standard Written Chinese, writers revert to stacking 的 (dik1), e.g., 我的朋友的車.