應該

Should

Level 1Sounds Like jing1 goi1

應該 (jing1 goi1) means 'should' or 'ought to'. Place it directly before a verb or predicate to offer advice, express duty, or state a logical expectation.

How It Works

應該 (jing1 goi1) is a core auxiliary verb in Cantonese used to express recommendation or likelihood.

1. Advice and Duty (Deontic Use)
When recommending what is right, advisable, or proper, place 應該 before the verb:

  • 你應該食多啲蔬菜。(nei5 jing1 goi1 sik6 do1 di1 so1 coi3) - You should eat more vegetables.

2. Logical Expectation (Epistemic Use)
To make a reasonable guess based on facts:

  • 佢應該去咗返工。(keoi5 jing1 goi1 heoi3 zo2 faan1 gung1) - He should have gone to work.

In spoken Cantonese, logical predictions with 應該 are frequently paired with the probability sentence-final particle 啩 (gwaa3) or the auxiliary verb 會 (wui5).

3. Negation Syntax
Word order changes depending on what you are negating:

  • Prohibition / Moral Negation ('should not'): 唔應該 + Verb
    例：你唔應該對佢發火。(You shouldn't lose your temper at him.)
  • Negative Probability ('probably won't'): 應該唔會 + Verb
    例：佢應該唔會嚟。(He probably won't come.)

4. Questions and Responses
Ask 'Should...?' using the A-not-A question form 應唔應該 (jing1 m4 jing1 goi1). When responding to expressions of gratitude, 應該嘅 (jing1 goi1 ge3) is a standard Cantonese phrase meaning 'You're welcome / It's my duty'.

Examples (5)

  1. 你應該早啲瞓，聽日要早起。

    You should go to sleep earlier; you have to wake up early tomorrow.

    Word by Word: you should early a bit sleep, tomorrow need early get up

    Demonstrates 應該 used for giving advice or suggesting a prudent action.

  2. 佢應該去咗返工，唔喺屋企。

    He should have gone to work; he's probably not at home.

    Word by Word: he should go [completed] work, not at home

    Demonstrates 應該 used for logical deduction and reasonable expectation.

  3. 我唔應該對你發火，係我唔啱。

    I shouldn't have lost my temper at you; it was my fault.

    Word by Word: I not should toward you lose temper, is I not right

    Demonstrates 唔應該 (m4 jing1 goi1) to express regret or state that an action was wrong.

  4. 聽日應該唔會落雨，你可以出去玩。

    It probably won't rain tomorrow; you can go out and play.

    Word by Word: tomorrow should not will fall rain, you can go out play

    Note the word order for negative probability: 應該 + 唔會 (jing1 goi1 m4 wui5).

  5. 唔使客氣，呢啲係我應該嘅。

    Don't mention it, this is what I should do.

    Word by Word: no need polite, this [plural] is I should [possessive/nominalizer]

    應該嘅 (jing1 goi1 ge3) functions as a polite response to thanks, similar to 'It's my duty'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 唔應該 ('should not') when you mean 'don't need to'.

    Different Meaning你太攰喇，你唔應該嚟。
    你太攰喇，你唔使嚟。

    唔應該 implies moral disapproval or that coming is a bad idea ('you ought not to come'). If you mean there is no necessity to come, use 唔使 (m4 sai2).

  • Using 唔應該會 when you mean 'probably won't'.

    Different Meaning佢唔應該會嚟。
    佢應該唔會嚟。

    佢唔應該會嚟 is a correct sentence, but it means 'he should not come'. To say 'he probably won't come', place 唔 after 應該: 應該唔會 (jing1 goi1 m4 wui5).

  • Shortening 應該 to single-character 該 in spoken Cantonese.

    你該食飯喇。
    你應該食飯喇。

    Unlike Mandarin (which shortens yīnggāi to gāi), spoken Cantonese rarely uses standalone 該 for 'should'. Always use the full disyllabic form 應該.

How It Connects

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應該Level 1Should

Learn This First

To use '應該' (should), you need to understand basic Cantonese word order, as modal verbs are placed before the main verb. Familiarity with basic negation using '唔' is also important for expressing what one should not do.

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