唔-

In Cantonese, 唔 (m4) is the primary negative particle. While often called a 'prefix' in teaching because it attaches to words, it is technically an adverbial negator.

1. Usage with Adjectives
Attached to an adjective, it creates an antonym:

• 好 (hou2) 'good' → 唔好 (m4 hou2) 'not good'. Note: 唔好 means 'not good' or 'poor quality'; to say someone is 'wicked' or 'evil', use 衰 (seoi1) or 壞 (waai6).
• 公平 (gung1 ping4) 'fair' → 唔公平 (m4 gung1 ping4) 'unfair'

2. Usage with Verbs
It negates the action, primarily expressing habits or general truths:

• Habits: 我唔飲咖啡 (ngo5 m4 jam2 gaa3 fe1) means 'I don't drink coffee'.
• Refusal: Depending on the context, it can also imply a refusal. 我唔食 (ngo5 m4 sik6) can mean 'I won't eat / I refuse to eat'.
• Future: For a simple statement that something won't happen (without implying refusal), you usually need 唔會 (m4 wui5).
• To Be: Negating the copula 係 (hai6) forms 唔係 (m4 hai6) 'is not'.

3. Core Functions

• A-not-A Questions: 唔 is essential for forming yes/no questions by sandwiching it between a repeated verb or adjective, such as 食唔食 (sik6 m4 sik6) 'Do you want to eat?' or 好唔好 (hou2 m4 hou2) 'Is it good?'.
• Prohibition: Used as 唔好 (m4 hou2) to mean 'don't', as in 唔好去 (m4 hou2 heoi3) 'don't go'. Alternatively, 咪 (mai5) is a common single-character alternative for negative commands (e.g., 咪郁 mai5 juk1 'don't move').
• Lack of Necessity: Used as 唔使 (m4 sai2) to mean 'no need to', as in 唔使去 (m4 sai2 heoi3) 'no need to go'.
• Potential Complement: 唔 is placed between a verb and its result or direction to indicate an inability to achieve that result, such as 睇唔到 (tai2 m4 dou2) 'cannot see' or 食唔晒 (sik6 m4 saai3) 'cannot finish eating'.
• Fixed Phrases: 唔 is a fixed component in essential lexicalized polite phrases, most notably 唔該 (m4 goi1) 'excuse me / thank you'.

4. Critical Constraints

• Aspect Markers: 唔 is generally incompatible with 咗 (zo2). To negate completed actions, use 冇 (mou5). While 唔 can technically appear with 過 (gwo3) in rare rhetorical contexts, learners should always use 冇...過 (mou5... gwo3) for general experiential negation.
• The Verb 'To Have': Never say '唔有'. The negative of 有 (jau5) is always 冇 (mou5).
• Standalone 'No': You cannot simply say '唔' for 'No'. To answer a yes/no question, you usually repeat the negated verb (e.g., 唔去 m4 heoi3 'not going'). 唔係 (m4 hai6) is the closest equivalent to a generic 'No' (meaning 'that is not true').