唔係唔...

It's Not That I Don't …

Level 4Sounds Like m4 hai6 m4 . . .

Use 唔係唔... (m4 hai6 m4...) to say 'It's not that I don't [Verb/Adj]...', usually followed by a 'but' to explain the real situation.

How It Works

The structure 唔係唔... (m4 hai6 m4) is a classic example of using Double Negatives to 'hedge' in Cantonese conversation. It allows you to defend your intentions or character before providing a reason for a perceived negative action.

1. Structure:
Literally, it breaks down as: 唔係 (It is not) + 唔 (not) + Verb/Adjective = It is not that I don't [Verb] / It is not that it isn't [Adjective]. The first 唔係 (m4 hai6) acts as a fixed phrase meaning 'It is not the case that...' or 'It is not true that...'. This explains why it can be followed by other negative markers like 冇 or 未 without breaking the sentence structure.
(Subject) + 唔係 (m4 hai6) + 唔 (m4) + [Verb/Adjective] + (㗎 (gaa3) / 嘅 (ge3)).
Note that the subject (especially 'I' 我 ngo5) is frequently omitted in natural conversation.

2. The 'But' Clause:
This pattern is often followed by a second clause to provide the actual explanation. Note the crucial distinction between the conjunctions used: 而係 (ji4 hai6) means 'but rather' (used to correct a misconception), whereas 但係 (daan6 hai6) or 不過 (bat1 gwo3) simply mean 'but' (used to introduce a complicating factor). Other options include 係 (hai6) or 淨係 (zing6 hai6). It is also very common in spoken Cantonese to simply trail off (e.g., 我唔係唔想幫你嘅... ngo5 m4 hai6 m4 soeng2 bong1 nei5 ge3...), letting the listener infer the rejection.

3. Common Verbs and Adjectives:
It is frequently used with modal verbs like 想 (soeng2) or 識 (sik1) to soften a lack of ability. When used with adjectives (e.g., 唔係唔好 m4 hai6 m4 hou2), it acts as a diplomatic hedge that concedes a baseline level of acceptability before delivering a 'but' (e.g., "It's not that it's bad, but...").

4. Alternative Negative Markers:
The second 唔 (m4) can be swapped with 冇 (mou5) for past actions or possession (唔係冇... m4 hai6 mou5... - it's not that I didn't/don't have), or 未 (mei6) for incomplete actions (唔係未... m4 hai6 mei6... - it's not that I haven't yet). When using 冇 or 未 with verbs, it is very common to pair them with the experiential aspect particle 過 (gwo3) (e.g., 唔係未聽過 m4 hai6 mei6 teng1 gwo3 - it's not that I haven't heard it before).

5. Tone and Particles:
The sentence-final particle 㗎 (gaa3) is highly characteristic here as it marks the statement as an explanation. Note that 㗎 (gaa3) is a fusion of 嘅 (ge3) + 呀 (aa3), and both are used to assert explanatory facts, which is why they frequently appear at the end of these sentences.

6. Rhetorical Usage:
A very common variation is the rhetorical question 唔係唔...啩? (m4 hai6 m4... gwaa3?). This is used to express disbelief or apply social pressure, translating to 'Don't tell me you don't [verb]?' or 'It can't be that you don't [verb], right?' (e.g., 你唔係唔知啩？ nei5 m4 hai6 m4 zi1 gwaa3? - 'Don't tell me you don't know?').

7. Pronunciation Note:
In fast, casual speech, the first 唔係 (m4 hai6) is sometimes slurred together, but the distinct rhythm of the double negative (m4 hai6 m4...) is always maintained.

8. Asking Questions:
It is important to distinguish the statement pattern 唔係唔... from its question equivalent. If you want to ask someone a question using this negative framing (e.g., 'Is it that you don't...?'), you need to use the A-not-A form 係唔係 (hai6 m4 hai6) followed by the negative marker: 係唔係唔... (hai6 m4 hai6 m4...) or 係咪唔... (hai6 mai6 m4...).

Examples (5)

  1. 唔係唔想去，不過真係好攰。

    It's not that I don't want to go, but I'm really tired.

    Word by Word: Not is not want go, but really very tired.

    The speaker uses 唔係唔想 (m4 hai6 m4 soeng2) to show they have the intention to go, but being tired is the real obstacle.

  2. 呢間餐廳唔係唔好食，淨係太貴。

    It's not that this restaurant isn't good, it's just too expensive.

    Word by Word: This [classifier] restaurant not is not good-eat, only is too expensive.

    This uses an adjective (好食 hou2 sik6) to concede a baseline level of acceptability before introducing a specific flaw.

  3. 我唔係未做完，而係想檢查多次。

    It's not that I haven't finished, but rather I want to check it one more time.

    Word by Word: I not is not-yet do finish, but rather is want check one-more time.

    This demonstrates swapping the second 唔 (m4) with 未 (mei6) to refer to an incomplete action, followed by 而係 (ji4 hai6) to correct a misconception.

  4. 你唔係唔知啩？

    Don't tell me you don't know?

    Word by Word: You not is not know [particle]?

    A rhetorical question using 啩 (gwaa3) to express disbelief, translating to 'It can't be that you don't know, right?'

  5. 我唔係未聽過，不過唔係好熟。

    It's not that I haven't heard it before, but I'm not very familiar with it.

    Word by Word: I not is not-yet hear [experiential], but not is very familiar.

    This shows the use of 未 (mei6) paired with the experiential particle 過 (gwo3) to indicate it's not that the speaker hasn't experienced it before.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing the pattern with 'Not A, but B'.

    我唔係唔學生，係老師。
    我唔係學生，而係老師。

    If you want to say 'I am not A, but B', use 唔係... 而係... (m4 hai6... ji4 hai6...). The double negative 唔係唔... is only for affirming a verb or adjective.

How It Connects

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

唔係唔...Level 4It's Not That I Don't …

Learn This First

The pattern '唔係唔...' is a double negative construction used for hedging. To understand it, learners must first be comfortable with basic negation using '唔' and the specific use of '唔係' to mean 'it is not the case that'.

Words in This Pattern

唔系