咪...囉

Then Obviously...

Level 3

The 咪...囉 (mai6... lo1) pattern is used to say 'Then just...' or 'Then obviously...' when suggesting a natural or simple solution to a situation.

How It Works

The 咪...囉 (mai6... lo1) construction is a staple of natural, spoken Cantonese. It is used to point out a fact or a course of action that the speaker feels should be obvious to the listener.

1. Structure:
The pattern follows the structure: [Condition/Context] + 咪 (mai6) + [Action/Fact] + 囉 (lo1).

  • 咪 (mai6): A contraction of 唔係 (m4 hai6 - 'is not'). In this context, it functions like 'then' or 'simply' to highlight a logical conclusion.
  • 囉 (lo1): A sentence-final particle that reinforces the sense of obviousness.

2. Common Variations:

  • 咁咪...囉 (gam2 mai6... lo1): The word 咁 (gam2) is frequently added at the start to mean 'In that case, then...'. For example: 咁咪好囉 (Then that's good).
  • 咪就係囉 (mai6 zau6 hai6 lo1): A fixed idiomatic phrase meaning 'Exactly!' or 'That's what I've been saying!'
  • Verb + 咪 + Verb + 囉: Expresses indifference or reluctant agreement (e.g., 去咪去囉 'Fine, I'll go then').

3. Nuance and Social Warning:
Because this pattern implies that the answer is 'obvious', it carries a strong pragmatic weight. Depending on the context, it can sound:

  • Helpful: Offering a simple solution to a friend's problem.
  • Matter-of-fact: Pointing out a reality the listener might have missed.
  • Blunt or Patronizing: Because 囉 (lo1) signals 'obviousness', using it can imply the listener is being slow or complaining unnecessarily. For example, 'If you're tired, then obviously you should sleep' (咪去瞓囉) can sound like 'Why are you telling me? The solution is simple, just go to bed.'

4. Register:
This is strictly colloquial. In formal writing, you would use 就 (zau6) or other formal conjunctions instead.

Examples (6)

  1. 你唔識咪問囉。

    If you don't know, then just ask.

    Word by Word: You not know then ask [obvious].

    Here, 咪 (mai6) suggests that 'asking' is the natural and obvious solution to 'not knowing'. Note that depending on tone, this could sound helpful or slightly impatient.

  2. 佢唔嚟咪算囉。

    If he's not coming, then just forget it.

    Word by Word: He not come then forget-it [obvious].

    算 (syun3) means 'to let it be'. The pattern frames this as the logical response to someone not showing up.

  3. 咁咪好囉！

    Then that's great!

    Word by Word: So then good [obvious]!

    The word 咁 (gam2) is often added before 咪 to strengthen the logical link between a situation and the obvious result.

  4. 咪就係囉！

    Exactly! / That's what I'm saying!

    Word by Word: Then exactly is [obvious]!

    This is a very common fixed idiomatic phrase used to agree emphatically with someone, implying 'That is exactly the point!'

  5. 唔鍾意咪唔好做囉。

    If you don't like it, then just don't do it.

    Word by Word: Not like then not good do [obvious].

    This uses 唔好 (m4 hou2) to create a negative suggestion. Be careful: in this context, it can sound quite dismissive or blunt.

  6. 去咪去囉，有乜所謂！

    Fine, I'll go then, what does it matter!

    Word by Word: Go then go [obvious], have what matter!

    This reduplicative pattern (Verb + 咪 + Verb + 囉) expresses a sense of indifference or reluctant agreement.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong tone for 'mai'.

    你唔識咪(mai5)問囉。
    你唔識咪(mai6)問囉。

    咪 (mai5) with a low-rising tone means ‘don’t’. If you use tone 5 here, it sounds like you are telling the person ‘don’t ask’, which is the opposite of the intended ‘then just ask’ (tone 6).

  • Using 咪唔去囉 when you mean ‘then just go’.

    Different Meaning咪唔去囉。
    咪去囉。

    咪唔去囉 is a good sentence: ‘then just do not go’. 咪 (mai6) comes from 唔係 (m4 hai6), but the result can be negative or positive: 咪去囉 means ‘then just go’.

How It Connects

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

咪...囉Level 3Then Obviously...

Learn This First

To understand '咪...囉', learners need to be familiar with the sentence-final particle '囉' which indicates obviousness. They also need to understand how '咪' (mai6) functions as a logical connector similar to '就' (then) in conditional sentences, often implying that the conclusion is the only logical or simple choice.

Words in This Pattern

咪啰