唔會唔/唔可以唔

Double Negative with a Modal

Level 4Sounds Like m4 wui6 m4 ho2 ji5 m4

Cantonese uses double negatives like 唔可以唔 (m4 ho2 ji5 m4) and 唔會唔 (m4 wui5 m4) to create a strong, emphatic positive statement. It translates to 'must' or 'definitely will,' emphasizing that the negative outcome is impossible or unacceptable.

How It Works

This pattern is a staple of colloquial Cantonese used to add rhetorical weight or insist on a point. It follows the structure: [Subject] + 唔 + [Modal Verb] + 唔 + [Verb/Adjective].

There are two primary forms:

  • 唔可以唔 (m4 ho2 ji5 m4): Literally 'not can not.' It expresses a strong social or moral obligation. While 可以 (ho2 ji5) means 'can,' the double negative functions as a forceful 'must.'
  • 唔會唔 (m4 wui5 m4): Literally 'not will not.' It expresses high certainty. While 會 (wui5) means 'will,' this pattern implies that something is 'bound to happen' or 'definitely the case.'

In speech, the second 唔 (m4) is often stressed to highlight the necessity. While Standard Chinese uses 不可不 (bat1 ho2 bat1) in formal writing, these double negatives are the natural choice for daily spoken Cantonese.

Examples (4)

  1. 你唔可以唔畀錢。

    You have to pay.

    Word by Word: You not can not give money.

    This uses 唔可以唔 (m4 ho2 ji5 m4) to emphasize that not paying is simply not an option.

  2. 佢唔會唔知啩？

    He must know, right?

    Word by Word: He not will not know [particle]?

    The speaker is expressing a strong belief that it is impossible for the person not to know. The particle 啩 (gwaa3) adds a slight tone of seeking confirmation.

  3. 我唔可以唔去呀。

    I simply must go.

    Word by Word: I not can not go [particle].

    This implies a strong internal or external pressure, making the trip mandatory.

  4. 件事唔會唔成功嘅。

    The matter definitely won't fail (will succeed).

    Word by Word: Item matter not will not succeed [particle].

    Using 唔會唔 (m4 wui5 m4) here expresses total confidence in the outcome.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing the second negator at the end of the sentence.

    你唔可以畀錢唔。
    你唔可以唔畀錢。

    The second 唔 (m4) must immediately precede the main verb, not the object or the end of the sentence.

  • Confusing the modal pattern with the concessive 'it's not that' pattern.

    我唔會唔想去，但係我好忙。
    我唔係唔想去，但係我好忙。

    唔係唔 (m4 hai6 m4) means 'It's not that I don't...', which is used to make an excuse. 唔會唔 (m4 wui5 m4) is for certainty about a future or factual state.

How It Connects

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

唔會唔/唔可以唔Level 4Double Negative with a Modal

Learn This First

To understand '唔會唔' and '唔可以唔', a learner must first be comfortable with basic negation using '唔' and the use of modal verbs like '會' (will) and '可以' (can). This pattern combines these elements into a double negative structure where the auxiliary and the main verb are both negated to create a strong affirmative meaning.

Words in This Pattern

唔会唔可以