有（存在）

There Is / There Are

Level 1Sounds Like jau5

Use Location + 有 (jau5) + Noun Phrase to say 'there is' or 'there are' somewhere. The location goes at the start of the sentence, usually without a preposition.

How It Works

1. Sentence Pattern
To express that something exists or is present in a place ('there is / there are'), Cantonese uses the structure:
Location + 有 (jau5) + Indefinite Noun Phrase

Unlike English, which uses the dummy subject 'there' and puts the location at the end (e.g., 'There are taxis in Hong Kong'), Cantonese sets the location as the main topic at the very beginning.

2. Core Grammatical Rules

  • Usually No Front Preposition: Normally leave out 喺 (hai2) ('at/in') before the location at the start of the sentence (喺香港有… is also heard, but the bare place is more common). State the place directly (e.g., 香港 hoeng1 gong2, 房入面 fong2 jap6 min6).
  • Indefinite Noun Phrase: The noun following 有 (jau5) is usually non-specific or quantified (e.g., 隻貓 zek3 maau1 'a cat', 兩本書 loeng5 bun2 syu1 'two books').
  • Negation: To say 'there is no' or 'there are no', use 冇 (mou5). The verb 有 (jau5) cannot be negated with 唔 (m4).
  • Questions: Ask 'is/are there...?' using the 有冇 (jau5 mou5) pattern (e.g., 呢度有冇洗手間呀？ ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 sai2 sau2 gaan1 aa3?).

3. Key Distinction: 有 (jau5) vs. 喺 (hai2)
Use Location + 有 + Noun when introducing an indefinite item into a scene ('There is a cat in the room'). Use [Definite Noun] + 喺 + Location when stating where a specific, known item is ('The cat is in the room').

Examples (4)

  1. 香港有好多的士。

    There are a lot of taxis in Hong Kong.

    Word by Word: Hong Kong have very many taxi

    The location 香港 (hoeng1 gong2) comes first, followed by 有 (jau5) and the indefinite noun phrase.

  2. 房入面有隻貓。

    There is a cat inside the room.

    Word by Word: Room inside have [classifier] cat

    房入面 (fong2 jap6 min6) means 'inside the room', functioning as the location topic.

  3. 枱上面有兩本書。

    There are two books on the table.

    Word by Word: Table top have two [classifier] book

    枱上面 (toi2 soeng6 min6) sets the spatial location before 有 (jau5) and the quantity.

  4. 呢度有冇洗手間呀？

    Is there a restroom here?

    Word by Word: Here have-not-have wash-hand-room [particle]?

    Uses 有冇 (jau5 mou5) with the location 呢度 (ni1 dou6) to ask if a restroom exists here.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding 喺 before the place when the place can simply be the topic.

    Different Meaning喺香港有好多的士。
    香港有好多的士。

    喺香港有好多的士 is natural, and 香港有好多的士 is the shorter form where the place is the topic. Both mean 'There are many taxis in Hong Kong'.

  • Negating 有 (jau5) with 唔 (m4).

    香港唔有好多的士。
    香港冇好多的士。

    The verb 有 (jau5) has an irregular negation. You must use 冇 (mou5) instead of 唔有.

  • Using 有 (jau5) when you want to say where a known person is.

    Different Meaning呢度有陳先生。
    陳先生喺呢度。

    呢度有陳先生 is fine for announcing that a Mr Chan is here (new information), for example 呢度有陳先生搵你. To say where Mr Chan is, put the person first with 喺 (hai2).

How It Connects

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有（存在）Level 1There Is / There Are

Learn This First

To understand the existential 'there is' pattern, you first need to be comfortable with basic Cantonese word order and the primary meaning of the verb 'jau5' (to have).

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