諗

Think That

Level 1Sounds Like nam2

Use 諗 (nam2) to express personal opinions, guesses, or estimations ("I think that..."). Unlike English, when saying "I don't think X", Cantonese keeps 諗 positive and negates the sub-clause instead.

How It Works

The verb 諗 (nam2, tone 2) is the primary everyday Cantonese word for "to think, reckon, or assume".

1. Expressing Opinions & Guesses
To express a subjective belief, estimation, or conjecture, place 諗 before a complete clause without needing any word for "that":
[Subject] + 諗 + [Clause]
Example: 我諗呢個方案可行 (ngo5 nam2 ni1 go3 fong1 on3 ho2 hang4) - "I think this plan is feasible."

2. Negation Nuance (No Negation Raising!)
In English, speakers often shift negation to the main verb ("I don't think he will come"). With 諗, Cantonese does not usually do this for opinions. Instead, you keep 諗 positive and negate the embedded clause:
• ✔ 我諗佢唔會嚟 (ngo5 nam2 keoi5 m4 wui5 lai4) - "I think he won't come."
• ✖ 我唔諗佢會嚟 (Unnatural for expressing an opinion)

3. Adding Aspect Markers for Intention or Mental State
When combined with aspect markers, 諗 shifts its function:
• 諗住 (nam2 zyu6): planning or intending to do something ("thinking of doing X").
• 諗緊 (nam2 gan2): actively pondering or thinking right now.
• 諗過 (nam2 gwo3): considered or thought about in the past.

Note: While you cannot say 我唔諗... for negative opinions, saying 我唔諗住... (ngo5 m4 nam2 zyu6...) is completely natural when expressing a lack of intention ("I don't plan to...").

Examples (5)

  1. 我諗呢個方案可行。

    I think this plan is feasible.

    Word by Word: I think this classifier plan feasible.

    諗 (nam2) directly introduces the opinion clause.

  2. 我諗佢聽日唔會嚟。

    I don't think he will come tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I think he tomorrow not will come.

    Notice that 唔會 (m4 wui5) negates the inner verb 嚟 (lai4), keeping 諗 (nam2) positive.

  3. 我諗呢個方法唔行得通。

    I don't think this method will work.

    Word by Word: I think this classifier method not walk-able-through.

    Negation stays attached to the inner predicate 唔行得通 (m4 haang4 dak1 tung1).

  4. 我諗住今晚食火鍋。

    I plan to eat hotpot tonight.

    Word by Word: I think-durative tonight eat hotpot.

    諗住 (nam2 zyu6) expresses an intention or plan.

  5. 我唔諗住換新手機。

    I don't plan on buying a new phone.

    Word by Word: I not think-durative change new mobile-phone.

    Here, negating 諗住 with 唔 (m4) is correct because it indicates a lack of intention, not an opinion about a fact.

Common Mistakes

  • Translating English 'I don't think...' directly as '我唔諗...'

    我唔諗佢會嚟。
    我諗佢唔會嚟。

    In Cantonese, you keep 諗 (nam2) positive and place negation (唔 m4 / 唔會 m4 wui5) inside the lower clause.

  • Using 諗住 (nam2 zyu6) to state beliefs about facts or weather

    我諗住會落雨。
    我諗會落雨。

    諗住 (nam2 zyu6) means 'planning to do an action'. For opinions or predictions about facts, use plain 諗 (nam2).

How It Connects

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諗Level 1Think That

Learn This First

To understand '諗' (think that), you need to be comfortable with basic sentence structure, pronouns, and how to negate verbs using '唔', as this pattern specifically focuses on the placement of negation in complex sentences.

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