話...知

Tell/let Someone Know

Level 2Sounds Like waa6 . . . zi1

Use 話 (waa6) + [Recipient] + 知 (zi1) to say "tell [someone]" or "let [someone] know" about a specific fact or situation.

How It Works

The 話...知 (waa6... zi1) construction is the standard colloquial way to express the transfer of information.

1. Sentence Structure:
The basic structure is: [Subject] + 話 + [Recipient] + 知 + [Message].
Example: 我 (Subject) + 話 (tell) + 你 (Recipient) + 知 (know) + 聽日放假 (Message).

A more complete version of this pattern is 話畀...知 (waa6 bei2... zi1), where 畀 (bei2) acts as a marker for the recipient. Both are interchangeable in daily speech.

2. Aspect Markers:
If you want to indicate a completed action using 咗 (zo2), it must attach to the first verb, 話.
Correct: 我話咗佢知 (I told him).
Incorrect: 我話佢知咗。

3. Nuance vs. 講畀...聽 (gong2 bei2... teng1):
While both can translate to "tell," 話...知 focuses on the information/knowledge being shared (letting someone know a fact). In contrast, 講畀...聽 focuses on the act of speaking/listening (like telling a story). You may also hear the variant 話...聽 (waa6... teng1), which functions similarly to 話...知.

4. Pro-tip: "Scolding" vs. "Telling":
Be careful: if you use the verb 話 (waa6) with a recipient but omit the 知 (zi1), it often means "to scold." For example, 我阿媽話我 (ngo5 aa3 maa1 waa6 ngo5) means "My mom scolded me," not "My mom told me." Always include 知 to ensure you mean "to inform."

5. The Dismissive Idiom:
The phrase 話之你 (waa6 zi1 nei5) is a common slang expression meaning "Who cares about you" or "I don't care what you do." While you might see it written phonetically as 話知你, the standard character is 之 (zi1).

Examples (4)

  1. 你去到就話我知啦。

    Let me know when you arrive.

    Word by Word: You arrive reach then tell me know [particle].

    A very common phrase used when traveling or meeting up. The recipient '我' (me) is placed between '話' and '知'.

  2. 佢冇話我知佢去咗邊。

    He didn't tell me where he went.

    Word by Word: He not-have tell me know he go [perfective] where.

    Uses 冇 (mou5) to negate the past action of telling.

  3. 我話你知，呢間餐廳好貴㗎。

    I'm telling you, this restaurant is very expensive.

    Word by Word: I tell you know, this [classifier] restaurant very expensive [particle].

    Used to emphasize a fact the speaker wants the listener to be aware of.

  4. 我話咗佢知聽日唔使返工。

    I told him that he doesn't need to work tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I tell [perfective] him know tomorrow no-need return-work.

    Demonstrates that the aspect marker 咗 (zo2) attaches to '話'.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the recipient after the entire verb phrase.

    我話知佢聽日放假。
    我話佢知聽日放假。

    In Cantonese, the recipient must split the verbs '話' and '知'. Putting the recipient at the end (話知佢) changes the meaning to 'I don't care about him'.

  • Attaching aspect markers to the wrong verb.

    我話佢知咗件事。
    我話咗佢知件事。

    Aspect markers like 咗 (zo2) must follow the primary action verb '話', not the resultative '知'.

How It Connects

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

話...知Level 2Tell/let Someone Know

Learn This First

The '話...知' pattern is a reporting frame used to 'let someone know' something. To use it, you need to understand basic pronouns for the subjects and objects, the general word order for double objects in Cantonese, and the conceptual framework of reporting speech which is often introduced via the '講畀...聽' (tell someone) pattern.

Words in This Pattern

话