肯

Be Willing to

Level 3Sounds Like hang2

Use 肯 (hang2) to say someone is willing to do something or agrees to a request. In the negative, 唔肯 (m4 hang2) means 'refuse to' or 'won't'.

How It Works

1. Consent and Yielding
肯 (hang2) is used when an action requires some level of effort, cooperation, or overcoming reluctance. It implies the subject has the power to say 'no' but chooses to say 'yes.' For example, if a child finally agrees to eat vegetables after being asked, you use 肯.

2. Strong Refusal
The negative form 唔肯 (m4 hang2) is extremely common in Cantonese. It is much stronger than 'don't want to.' It implies a firm refusal or stubbornness. If you say 佢唔肯去 (keoi5 m4 hang2 heoi3), it means 'He refuses to go,' not just that he doesn't feel like it.

3. Character Traits and Gradability
肯 is often used to describe someone's character, specifically their willingness to work hard or cooperate. While 肯 is generally non-gradable for specific instances of consent, it is frequently used with 好 (hou2) when describing general dispositions. A common phrase is 好肯做嘢 (hou2 hang2 zou6 je5), meaning someone is 'very willing to work' or 'hardworking.'

4. Register: 肯 vs. 願意
While both mean 'willing,' 肯 is the everyday colloquial choice for consent or yielding. 願意 (jyun6 ji3) is much more formal or heartfelt, used in contexts like marriage vows or official statements. Using 願意 in casual conversation can sound overly dramatic or stiff.

5. Grammatical Constraints

  • Negation: It is almost always negated with 唔 (m4), even for past events. Learners should avoid 冇 (mou5) with 肯, because 唔肯 is the normal negative.
  • Questions: Use the A-not-A pattern: 肯唔肯 (hang2 m4 hang2).

Examples (5)

  1. 佢唔肯聽我電話。

    He refuses to take my calls.

    Word by Word: He not willing listen my phone.

    Using 唔肯 (m4 hang2) here shows an active refusal to answer the phone, rather than just being busy.

  2. 我求咗佢好耐，佢先至肯幫手。

    I begged him for a long time before he finally agreed to help.

    Word by Word: I beg [perfective] him good long-time, he only-then willing help-hand.

    肯 (hang2) highlights that the person eventually yielded or consented after persuasion.

  3. 你肯唔肯同我一齊去？

    Are you willing to go with me?

    Word by Word: You willing not willing with me together go?

    This uses the V-not-V question format to ask for consent.

  4. 呢個員工好肯做嘢。

    This employee is very willing to work hard.

    Word by Word: This [classifier] employee very willing do work.

    In this context, 肯 (hang2) describes a positive character trait of being cooperative and industrious.

  5. 佢哋唔肯認錯。

    They refuse to admit they are wrong.

    Word by Word: They not willing admit mistake.

    唔肯 (m4 hang2) expresses a stubborn refusal to acknowledge a fault.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 肯 (hang2) for something you simply want to do.

    Different Meaning我肯去日本旅行。
    我想去日本旅行。

    我肯去日本旅行 is a good sentence, but it says you are willing to go, as if someone asked you or it took some persuading. For a trip you look forward to, say 我想去日本旅行 with 想 (soeng2).

  • Negating 肯 with 冇 (mou5) for past actions.

    Different Meaning尋日佢冇肯幫我。
    尋日佢唔肯幫我。

    冇肯 is also heard and means the person did not agree. The standard way to say someone was unwilling is 唔 (m4) + 肯, even about the past: 唔肯.

  • Confusing 肯 (hang2) with 肯定 (hang2 ding6).

    我肯佢會嚟。
    我肯定佢會嚟。

    肯 (hang2) means 'willing,' while 肯定 (hang2 ding6) means 'certain' or 'definitely.' They are not interchangeable.

How It Connects

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肯Level 3Be Willing to

Learn This First

To understand '肯' (willingness), you need to know how Cantonese handles auxiliary verbs and negation. Since '肯' is almost always used to say someone 'won't' or is 'unwilling' to do something, knowing the negator '唔' is the most important prerequisite.

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Words in This Pattern

肯