唔要

Don't Want

Level 2Sounds Like m4 jiu3

Use 唔要 (m4 jiu3) to say you don't want a concrete object, food, or offer. It is strictly used with nouns, never with verbs.

How It Works

1. Core Function & Structure
唔要 (m4 jiu3) functions as a verb phrase meaning 'to not want', 'refuse', or 'decline' a specific noun, food, gift, or offer.

The basic structure is:
Subject + 唔要 + (Direct Object Noun)

While it targets noun objects (e.g., 唔要咖啡 - don't want coffee), the direct object noun is frequently omitted in natural speech when understood from context, allowing 唔要 to function as a standalone refusal (e.g., 唔要喇 - don't want [it]).

For example:
• 我唔要呢個。(ngo5 m4 jiu3 ni1 go3. - I don't want this one.)
• 佢唔要甜品。(keoi5 m4 jiu3 tim4 ban2. - He doesn't want dessert.)

2. Relinquishing Ownership (唔要咗)
In everyday Cantonese, adding the perfective aspect marker 咗 (zo2) to form 唔要咗 refers to relinquishing ownership or choosing not to keep something. While verbs like 掉 (diu6) or 揼 (dam2) specifically mean the physical action of throwing something in the trash, 唔要咗 is extremely commonly used in practice as a softer, interchangeable euphemism for 'threw away' or 'got rid of'.
• 呢啲舊報紙我唔要咗。(ni1 di1 gau6 bou3 zi2 ngo5 m4 jiu3 zo2. - I threw away / didn't keep these old newspapers.)
• 我唔要咗個包裝盒。(ngo5 m4 jiu3 zo2 go3 baau1 zong1 hap2. - I got rid of / didn't keep the packaging box.)

3. Asking 'Do you want...?'
To ask if someone wants something, use the verb-not-verb question format 要唔要 (jiu3 m4 jiu3).
• 你要唔要咖啡呀？(nei5 jiu3 m4 jiu3 gaa3 fe1 aa3? - Do you want coffee?)

4. Politeness and Sentence Particles
On its own, 唔要 can sound quite direct or blunt. In everyday service and retail settings (such as declining a receipt, plastic bag, or refill), native speakers often prefer using 唔使 (m4 sai2) over 唔要 to sound more polite.

Adding the change-of-state particle 喇 (laa3) and polite expressions like 唔該 (m4 goi1) or 多謝 (do1 ze6) helps soften a refusal:
• 唔使喇，唔該。(m4 sai2 laa3, m4 goi1. - No need, thank you.)
• 唔要喇，多謝。(m4 jiu3 laa3, do1 ze6. - No [I don't want it], thank you.)

Note: Use 唔該 (m4 goi1) to decline a service, offer, or action (like a plastic bag or receipt), while 多謝 (do1 ze6) is used to decline a physical gift or compliment. In retail or restaurant service contexts, '唔使喇，唔該' is the standard polite refusal.

5. Core Pitfalls for English and Mandarin Speakers
Unlike Mandarin's 不要 (bú yào) or English ('don't want'), Cantonese maintains strict boundaries between declining items, expressing lack of desire for actions, expressing lack of necessity, and giving negative commands. Crucial Warning: The most common mistake English speakers make is using 唔要 with verbs. To say 'don't want to [do an action]', you must use 唔想 (m4 soeng2), not 唔要.

  • Refusing an Object: Use 唔要 + Noun (e.g., 我唔要咖啡 - I don't want coffee).
  • Not Wanting to Do an Action: Use 唔想 + Verb (e.g., 我唔想食飯 - I don't want to eat). Never use 唔要 with a verb.
  • No Need / Obligation: Use 唔使 + Verb (e.g., 我聽日唔使返工 - I don't need to work tomorrow).
  • Prohibition / Command ('Don't!'): Use 唔好 + Verb (e.g., 唔好走！ - Don't go!). You can also use 咪 (mai5) as a blunter alternative. Never use 唔要 for commands.

Examples (3)

  1. 我唔要甜品，多謝。

    I don't want dessert, thank you.

    Word by Word: I not want dessert, thank you.

    The phrase 唔要 (m4 jiu3) directly precedes the noun 甜品 (tim4 ban2 - dessert). Adding 多謝 (do1 ze6) softens the refusal.

  2. 你唔要嘅話，可以送畀第二個。

    If you don't want it, you can give it to someone else.

    Word by Word: You not want possessive-word-if, can give-to second classifier.

    Here 唔要 is used inside a conditional clause ending in 嘅話 (ge3 waa2 - if).

  3. 呢件衫太貴喇，我唔要喇。

    This shirt is too expensive, I don't want it anymore.

    Word by Word: This classifier shirt too expensive change-particle, I not want change-particle.

    Adding 喇 (laa3) after 唔要 indicates a change in decision or state ('I don't want it now').

Common Mistakes

  • Using 唔要 with verbs to say you don't want to do something.

    我唔要睇電視。
    我唔想睇電視。

    唔要 (m4 jiu3) is mostly used with nouns to refuse objects. With a verb it can still be heard as a flat refusal, but the neutral way to say you don't want to do something is 唔想 (m4 soeng2) + Verb.

  • Using 唔要 as a negative imperative command ('Don't do X!').

    唔要走！
    唔好走！

    While Mandarin uses 不要 (bú yào) for 'don't do that', Cantonese normally uses 唔好 (m4 hou2) or 咪 (mai5) for prohibitions. 唔要走 would be heard as 'I don't want to go', not as a command.

  • Using 唔要 to express 'don't have to' or 'no need to'.

    我聽日唔要返工。
    我聽日唔使返工。

    To negate obligation or necessity ('don't need to work tomorrow'), Cantonese uses 唔使 (m4 sai2), not 唔要.

How It Connects

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

唔要Level 2Don't Want

Learn This First

To understand '唔要' (don't want), you need to know the basic negation particle '唔' and how to use basic pronouns to form a simple subject-verb-object sentence structure.

Words in This Pattern

唔要