同（受益）

For Someone's Sake

Level 3Sounds Like tung4

The coverb 同 (tung4) marks the beneficiary of an action. It is placed before the verb to show who the action is being done for.

How It Works

The word 同 (tung4) is a versatile 'coverb' in Cantonese. While beginners learn it as 'with' or 'and', its role as a benefactive marker (meaning 'for' or 'on behalf of') is essential for natural speech.

1. Word Order
Unlike English, where 'for me' usually comes after the verb, in Cantonese, with 同 the beneficiary comes before the verb (the other common way puts 畀 plus the person after the verb):

  • English: I buy a gift for him.
  • Cantonese: 我同佢買份禮物 (ngo5 tung4 keoi5 maai5 fan6 lai5 mat6).

2. Handling Ambiguity
Because 同 (tung4) can mean both 'with' and 'for', some sentences are ambiguous. For example, 我同佢買嘢 (ngo5 tung4 keoi5 maai5 je5) could mean 'I shop with him' or 'I buy things for him'. To be specific, speakers often use 幫 (bong1) or 代 (doi6) to clarify the 'for' meaning.

3. Comparison with Mandarin
Learners with a Mandarin background should note that Cantonese uses 同 (tung4) or 幫 (bong1) where Mandarin uses 給 (gěi). In Cantonese, 畀 (bei2) is generally not used as a pre-verbal marker for 'for someone's sake'.

4. The 'Command' Nuance
When used with 我 (ngo5) in a command, 同我 (tung4 ngo5) often acts as an intensifier. It doesn't literally mean 'do this for my sake' as much as it adds authority or impatience, similar to 'You'd better...' or 'I'm telling you to...'.

Examples (4)

  1. 我想同佢買份禮物。

    I want to buy a gift for him.

    Word by Word: I want for him buy [classifier] gift.

    Here, 同 (tung4) indicates that the person receiving the gift is the beneficiary of the buying action.

  2. 你同我企好！

    Stand up straight!

    Word by Word: You for me stand well!

    In this command, 同我 (tung4 ngo5) adds a tone of authority or impatience rather than a literal favor.

  3. 唔該你同我洗咗啲碗佢。

    Please wash the dishes for me.

    Word by Word: Please you for me wash [perfective] [plural] bowl them.

    This uses 同 (tung4) to request a favor. Note that the aspect marker 咗 (zo2) stays with the main verb, not 同 (tung4).

  4. 我同你打電話問吓佢啦。

    I'll call and ask him for you.

    Word by Word: I for you hit phone ask [delimitative] him [particle].

    The speaker is performing the action of calling on behalf of the listener.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing the beneficiary after the verb.

    我買衫同佢。
    我同佢買衫。

    In Cantonese, coverbs like 同 (tung4) must appear before the main verb phrase. Placing it at the end is an English-influenced error.

  • Using 同 when you mean 'call me'.

    Different Meaning同我打電話。
    打電話畀我。

    同我打電話 is a fine sentence, but it means "make a call for me" (on my behalf). To say "call me", use 畀 (bei2): 打電話畀我.

How It Connects

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

同（受益）Level 3For Someone's Sake

Learn This First

To understand '同' as a benefactive marker (doing something for someone's sake), you first need to be comfortable with its more common roles as a conjunction ('and') and a preposition for accompaniment ('with') or addressing someone ('to'). Since this pattern involves placing the '同' phrase before the main verb, a solid grasp of basic Cantonese word order is also essential.

Words in This Pattern