一啲

Some

Level 1Sounds Like jat1 di1

Use 一啲 (jat1 di1) before nouns to mean 'some' (e.g., 一啲水 jat1 di1 seoi2 'some water'). In post-verbal object position, 一啲 quantifies nouns or mass quantities, and 一 is often dropped leaving 啲 (di1). In subject position at the start of a sentence, Cantonese requires the existential verb 有 before 一啲 (e.g., 有一啲人 jau5 jat1 di1 jan4 'some people').

How It Works

1. Quantifying Nouns ("Some")
Placed directly before a noun, 一啲 (jat1 di1) quantifies indefinite amounts:

  • Plural / Mass nouns: 一啲水果 (jat1 di1 seoi2 gwo2) - 'some fruit'
  • Post-verbal shorthand: In spoken Cantonese, 一 (jat1) is often dropped after verbs, leaving just 啲 (di1) (e.g., 飲啲水 jam2 di1 seoi2 'drink some water').

2. Post-Adjectival Comparative ("A bit more")
Placing 一啲 (jat1 di1) or 啲 (di1) after an adjective forms a comparative meaning 'a bit more' (e.g., 快一啲 faai3 jat1 di1 'a bit faster', 平啲 peng4 di1 'a bit cheaper').

3. Reduplication: 一啲啲 ("A tiny bit")
Reduplicating into 一啲啲 (jat1 di1 di1) means 'just a tiny bit' (e.g., 我只係識一啲啲 ngo5 zi2 hai6 sik1 jat1 di1 di1 'I only know a tiny bit').

4. Indefinite Subjects Need 有
Unlike English, an indefinite subject cannot sit at the start of a Cantonese sentence with bare 一啲. You must introduce it with 有 to form 有一啲 (jau5 jat1 di1) or 有啲 (jau5 di1) (e.g., 有一啲人想去 'some people want to go').

5. Emphatic Negation ("Not at all")
In the pattern 一啲都唔 / 冇... (jat1 di1 dou1 m4 / mou5...), 一啲 intensifies negation to mean 'not at all' or 'not a single bit' (e.g., 今日一啲都唔熱 'Today is not hot at all').

6. Strict Rule: No Other Numbers
The classifier 啲 ONLY takes the numeral 一 (jat1). You cannot say *兩啲 or *三啲. To specify numbers or a few, use regular unit classifiers or 幾 (gei2) with unit classifiers.

Examples (4)

  1. 我想買一啲水果。

    I want to buy some fruit.

    Word by Word: I want buy some fruit

    一啲 (jat1 di1) quantifies the mass noun 水果 (seoi2 gwo2, 'fruit').

  2. 有一啲人想去，有一啲人唔想去。

    Some people want to go, and some people don't want to go.

    Word by Word: Have some people want go, have some people not want go

    In subject position, 有一啲 (jau5 jat1 di1) is used to introduce indefinite subjects ('some people'). Placing bare 一啲人 at the front without 有 is ungrammatical.

  3. 今日一啲都唔熱。

    Today is not hot at all.

    Word by Word: Today one bit even not hot

    Using 一啲都唔 (jat1 di1 dou1 m4) creates emphatic negation ('not at all').

  4. 就算喺日常生活中，都需要一啲科學常識。

    Even in daily life, we need some common scientific knowledge.

    Word by Word: Even in daily life inside, all need some science common sense

    一啲 (jat1 di1) modifies the abstract mass noun 科學常識 (fo1 hok6 soeng4 sik1, 'common scientific knowledge').

Common Mistakes

  • Combining numbers other than 一 (jat1) with 啲 (di1).

    我睇咗兩啲書。
    我睇咗幾本書。

    The plural quantifier 啲 (di1) can only pair with 一 (jat1). To say 'a few books', use 幾 (gei2) with the specific unit classifier 本 (bun2).

  • Using 一啲 directly before an adjective to mean 'a bit [Adj]'.

    今日一啲凍。
    今日有啲凍。

    To say 'a bit cold' or 'a bit expensive' before an adjective, use 有啲 (jau5 di1) or 少少 (siu2 siu2), not 一啲.

  • Thinking bare 一啲 can never start a sentence as the subject.

    Different Meaning一啲人想去。
    有一啲人想去。

    一啲人想去 is heard too, especially when contrasted, as in 一啲人想去，一啲人唔想去. 有一啲人 (jau5 jat1 di1 jan4) introduces the group as new information, and is the safer choice when nothing else is being contrasted.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

一啲Level 1Some

Learn This First

To understand '一啲', you first need to be familiar with the classifier '啲', which is used for plural or uncountable items. Additionally, knowing the standard Cantonese 'Number + Classifier + Noun' structure helps you see '一啲' as a specific instance of this counting frame where the number is always 'one'.

Words in This Pattern