咩 (me1)

Surprised or Disbelieving Question

Level 1Sounds Like me1

When you hear something unexpected or hard to believe, add 咩 (me1) at the end of the sentence to ask 'Really?!' or 'Are you saying that...?' It is never neutral.

How It Works

What is 咩 (me1)?
The particle 咩 (me1) is one of Cantonese's most common sentence-final particles. It turns any clause or statement into a question filled with doubt, surprise, counter-expectation, or challenge.

Key Functions:

  • Surprise or Disbelief: Translates roughly to 'Really?!' or 'Don't tell me...!' when reacting to surprising news.
  • Counter-Expectation: Used when you assumed the opposite was true (e.g., assuming someone remembered, but learning they forgot).
  • Rhetorical Challenge: Asking 'Are you seriously saying that?'

How to Use It:
Attach 咩 (me1) to the end of a statement, short response, or conversational fragment (e.g., 係咩？ hai6 me1? - 'Is that so?'). It can also combine with other particles, such as in 嘅咩 (ge3 me1).
• Statement: 你唔記得 (nei5 m4 gei3 dak1 - You don't remember)
• Disbelieving Question: 你唔記得咩？ (nei5 m4 gei3 dak1 me1? - You mean you don't remember?!)

Important Distinction:
Never use 咩 (me1) for a polite, neutral yes/no question. For neutral questions, use A-not-A forms or 係咪 (hai6 mai6). Using 咩 (me1) signals that you are reacting to unexpected information.

Examples (4)

  1. 你唔記得咩？

    You mean you don't remember?

    Word by Word: you not remember SFP

    Adding 咩 (me1) shows the speaker assumed the listener remembered and is surprised by their forgetfulness.

  2. 今日係星期六咩？

    Is today Saturday?!

    Word by Word: today is Saturday SFP

    The speaker thought today was Friday or another day and is surprised to hear it's Saturday.

  3. 佢話唔嚟咩？

    Did he say he isn't coming?!

    Word by Word: he say not come SFP

    Expresses skepticism or shock upon hearing that someone isn't coming.

  4. 你唔食飯咩？

    Are you saying you're not going to eat?!

    Word by Word: you not eat rice SFP

    Shows counter-expectation because the speaker expected the listener to eat.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 咩 (me1) when you want a neutral yes/no question (like Mandarin 嗎).

    Different Meaning你去街咩？
    你去唔去街呀？ / 你係咪去街呀？

    你去街咩 is a good sentence, but 咩 (me1) carries surprise or doubt: 'What, you are going out?' For a neutral question, use A-not-A or 係咪 (hai6 mai6).

  • Reading 你食咩 as a surprised question.

    Different Meaning你食咩？
    你食飯咩？

    你食咩 is a good sentence meaning 'What are you eating?', where 咩 replaces the object (short for 乜嘢 mat1 je5). To express surprise about the action of eating, complete the clause with 食飯 and put particle 咩 (me1) at the end.

How It Connects

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咩 (me1)Level 1Surprised or Disbelieving Question

Learn This First

To understand '咩' (me1), you need to be familiar with how Cantonese uses sentence-final particles to change the tone of a statement. It is also helpful to understand basic question structures, as '咩' (me1) adds a layer of surprise or disbelief to a standard inquiry.

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