冇（過去動作）
Didn't (Negated Past)
To say 'didn't do something' in Cantonese, put 冇 (mou5) right before the verb. Crucially, remove the completed action marker 咗 (zo2) from after the verb.
How It Works
In Cantonese, past or completed actions are negated using 冇 (mou5), which literally means 'to not have' or 'didn't'.
1. Sentence Structure
Place 冇 (mou5) directly before the verb:
• 我冇食飯 (ngo5 mou5 sik6 faan6) = I didn't eat.
2. Dropping the 咗 (zo2) Marker
In affirmative sentences, 咗 (zo2) marks completion (e.g., 我食咗飯 = I ate). However, when negating with 冇, 咗 is dropped because 冇 already communicates non-completion:
• ✅ 我冇買菜 (ngo5 mou5 maai5 coi3) = I didn't buy groceries.
• ❌ 我冇買咗菜 (Incorrect double marking)
3. Distinguishing 冇 from 唔 and 未
• Use 冇 (mou5) for past/completed facts ('didn't'): 我冇去 (I didn't go).
• Use 唔 (m4) for present habits, future intentions, or refusal ('don't / won't'): 我唔去 (I'm not going / I don't go).
• Use 未 (mei6) for actions not yet done but expected ('not yet'): 我未去 (I haven't gone yet).
4. Exception: Pairing with 過 (gwo3)
While 冇 cannot pair with 咗, it can pair with the experiential marker 過 (gwo3) to express 'have never done' (e.g., 我冇去過 = I have never been there).
Examples (4)
- 我尋日冇買菜。
I didn't buy groceries yesterday.
Word by Word: I yesterday didn't buy groceries.
尋日 (cam4 jat6) sets the past time context. 冇 (mou5) negates the verb 買 (maai5).
- 佢琴晚冇嚟上課。
He didn't come to class last night.
Word by Word: He last-night didn't come attend class.
琴晚 (kam4 maan5) means 'last night'. 冇 (mou5) goes directly before the verb 嚟 (lai4).
- 我冇睇嗰套戲。
I didn't watch that movie.
Word by Word: I didn't watch that classifier movie.
冇 (mou5) states as a factual matter that the action of watching (睇) did not occur.
- 佢哋冇去到機場。
They didn't reach the airport.
Word by Word: They didn't go-reach airport.
冇 (mou5) negates the compound verb phrase 去到 (go to / reach).
Common Mistakes
Keeping 咗 (zo2) when negating with 冇 (mou5).
我冇買咗菜。我冇買菜。In Cantonese, 冇 already signifies that the completed action didn't take place. Adding 咗 is grammatically redundant and incorrect.
Using 唔 (m4) when you mean "did not go".
Different Meaning我尋日唔去睇戲。我尋日冇去睇戲。我尋日唔去睇戲 is possible, but it suggests a choice or refusal ("I decided not to go"). To say it simply did not happen, use 冇 (mou5): 冇去睇戲.
Answering 冇食 when you mean 'not yet'.
Different MeaningA: 你食咗飯未？ B: 冇食。A: 你食咗飯未？ B: 未食。冇食 is fine Cantonese and means 'I did not eat', stated as a fact. If you mean you have not eaten yet and still will, say 未食 (mei6 sik6).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand how to say 'didn't' in Cantonese, you first need to know the basic word for 'not have' (冇) and how the language marks completed actions using the perfective aspect (咗). This pattern is the negative counterpart to the '咗' aspect marker.
- 冇Not Have
The word '冇' (mou5) is the core negation marker used in this pattern to mean 'did not'.
Level 1 - 咗Perfective Aspect
Understanding the perfective aspect '咗' is necessary because '冇' specifically replaces '咗' when negating past actions.
Level 1 - No Verb Conjugation
Learners need to understand how Cantonese expresses time through markers rather than verb conjugation to grasp how '冇' functions as a past negator.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- 唔Not (General Negation)
Negates general present habits, future actions, or adjectives rather than past completed actions.
Level 1 - 未Not Yet
Used when an action hasn't happened 'yet', implying expectation or intention.
Level 1 - 過（經驗）Experiential Aspect
Can combine with 冇 (冇...過) to express 'have never done' an experience.
Level 2 - 唔/冇/未Choosing the Right Negator
Overview pattern comparing how to choose between the three main Cantonese negators.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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