有X冇Y

At Level 5, you should recognize that 有X冇Y is used both for neutral statements of possession—such as 有車冇樓 (jau5 ce1 mou5 lau2, having a car but no apartment) or 有錢冇時間 (jau5 cin2 mou5 si4 gaan3, having money but no time, note that 錢 cin4 often takes a tone change to cin2 in colloquial speech)—and to form expressive idioms.

1. Structural Characteristics:

• Word Classes: X and Y can be nouns (e.g., 有車冇樓 jau5 ce1 mou5 lau2), adjectives (e.g., 有好冇壞 jau5 hou2 mou5 waai6, only good, no bad / nothing to lose), or even verbs (e.g., 有殺錯冇放過 jau5 saat3 co3 mou5 fong3 gwo3, rather kill by mistake than let go). Note that when adjectives are used in this pattern, they function as nouns (nominalization), meaning 'good things' and 'bad things'. Also note that while 有殺錯冇放過 literally sounds aggressive, it is frequently used humorously in casual, lighthearted contexts (e.g., grabbing every dish at a buffet, clearance sales, or buying stocks) to mean 'better safe than sorry' or 'take everything you can get'.
• Syllabic Balance: In idiomatic phrases, X and Y almost always have the exact same number of syllables to maintain rhythmic balance. For example, X and Y are both 1-syllable in 有車冇樓 (jau5 ce1 mou5 lau2), whereas they are both 2-syllables in 有姿勢冇實際 (jau5 zi1 sai3 mou5 sat6 zai3).
• Idiomatic Pairs: This pattern frequently forms four-character idioms (四字詞 sei3 zi6 ci4), but is not restricted to them and can form longer phrases, such as the six-character 有姿勢冇實際 (jau5 zi1 sai3 mou5 sat6 zai3, all show and no substance). In idioms, X and Y are often contrasting pairs or antonyms, such as 頭 (tau4, start/head) and 尾 (mei5, end/tail).
• The 'Only X, never Y' Dynamic: When X and Y are antonym pairs, the pattern usually translates to 'Only X, never Y' or 'X happens, but Y doesn't'. For example, 有入冇出 (jau5 jap6 mou5 ceot1) literally means 'have enter no exit', describing a situation where things only go in but never come out.
• Predicate Function: It usually follows a subject directly or is linked by the copula 係 (hai6).
• Attributive Usage: The entire phrase can function as an adjective to modify a noun by adding 嘅 (ge3). For example, 有名冇實嘅公司 (jau5 ming4 mou5 sat6 ge3 gung1 si1) refers to a 'company that has the name but no substance'.
• Register: Many of these phrases adapt standard Chinese idioms into spoken Cantonese by simply swapping the literary 無 (mou4) for the colloquial 冇 (mou5).

2. Nuance and Tone:
The nuance of the pattern depends entirely on the specific words substituted for X and Y. While it can be used to criticize a hollow reputation—like having a 'name' (名 ming4) but no 'substance' (實 sat6)—it can also express sympathy or regret, such as 有心冇力 (jau5 sam1 mou5 lik6, having the heart but lacking the strength).

3. The 有得X冇得Y Variant:
When expressing capability, permission, or availability with verbs, Cantonese heavily relies on the variant 有得X冇得Y (jau5 dak1 X mou5 dak1 Y). This is a core pattern for Level 5 learners. Classic examples include 有得睇冇得食 (jau5 dak1 tai2 mou5 dak1 sik6, you can look but you can't eat) and 有得震冇得瞓 (jau5 dak1 zan3 mou5 dak1 fan3, shivering with fear / so scared you can't sleep).

4. The 有X冇X Sub-pattern:
When X and Y are the exact same word, it forms a concessive phrase meaning 'whether you have X or not' (e.g., 有錢冇錢都好 jau5 cin2 mou5 cin2 dou1 hou2, 'whether you have money or not'). Note that this is not the standard way to ask a yes/no question in Cantonese; for questions, you should use the 有冇 (jau5 mou5) pattern (e.g., 你有冇錢呀？ nei5 jau5 mou5 cin2 aa3? 'Do you have money?'). In specific idiomatic statements, this repetition shifts the meaning to doing something 'regardless of X' (e.g., 有理冇理 jau5 lei5 mou5 lei5, 'no matter what') or doing something sporadically (e.g., 有一句冇一句 jau5 jat1 geoi3 mou5 jat1 geoi3, 'speaking sporadically').

5. Adverbial Usage:
These idiomatic phrases can also describe the manner in which an action is performed. While you can add 咁樣 (gam2 joeng2) or 咁 (gam2) to descriptive phrases to form adverbs (e.g., 有心冇力咁睇住 jau5 sam1 mou5 lik6 gam2 tai2 zyu6, 'watching on while having the heart but not the strength to help'), some phrases like 有理冇理 function as adverbs directly without needing it.