咗（形容詞後）

Change of State on an Adjective

Level 3Sounds Like zo2

In Cantonese, adding 咗 (zo2) to an adjective shows a transition from one state to another. It translates to 'has become [adjective]' or 'gotten [adjective].'

How It Works

In English, we use words like 'became,' 'got,' or 'turned' to show change. In Cantonese, this is handled by the aspect marker 咗 (zo2).

1. Indicating Change
When you say 佢好瘦 (keoi5 hou2 sau3), you are describing a static state: 'She is thin.' When you say 佢瘦咗 (keoi5 sau3 zo2), you are describing a change: 'She has gotten thin.'

2. Comparison to Previous State
Using 咗 (zo2) implies a comparison between the subject's current state and its state at a previous time. For example, 貴咗 (gwai3 zo2) means 'it has become more expensive [than it was before].' This is different from using 啲 (di1), which compares two different objects.

3. Common Contexts
This pattern is extremely common when discussing:

  • Weather: 個天黑咗 (go3 tin1 hak1 zo2) - The sky has turned dark.
  • Physical Appearance: 你高咗 (nei5 gou1 zo2) - You've grown taller.
  • Prices/Values: 啲菜貴咗 (di1 coi3 gwai3 zo2) - Vegetables have become expensive.
  • Emotions: 佢開心咗 (keoi5 hoi1 sam1 zo2) - He has become happier.

4. Interaction with Particles
You will often see 咗 (zo2) paired with the sentence-final particle 喇 (laa3). While 咗 (zo2) marks the completion of the change, 喇 (laa3) emphasizes that this new situation is now relevant. For example: 凍咗喇 (dung3 zo2 laa3) - 'It's gotten cold now.'

Examples (5)

  1. 你瘦咗好多喎！

    You've gotten a lot thinner!

    Word by Word: You thin [change] very much [noteworthy]!

    Here, 瘦 (sau3) means 'thin'. Adding 咗 (zo2) shows the person has transitioned into this state.

  2. 啲菜貴咗好多。

    Vegetables have become much more expensive.

    Word by Word: [Plural] vegetable expensive [change] very much.

    貴 (gwai3) means 'expensive'. 貴咗 (gwai3 zo2) indicates a price hike compared to before.

  3. 個天黑咗。

    The sky has turned dark.

    Word by Word: [Classifier] sky black [change].

    黑 (hak1) means 'black/dark'. This describes the process of night falling or a storm approaching.

  4. 細佬高咗好多。

    Little brother has grown a lot taller.

    Word by Word: Little brother tall [change] very much.

    高 (gou1) means 'tall'. Adding 咗 (zo2) indicates the physical change of growing.

  5. 而家好咗啲。

    It's a bit better now.

    Word by Word: Now good [change] a bit.

    好 (hou2) means 'good'. 好咗 (hou2 zo2) is the standard way to say something has improved.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 咗 (zo2) for a past state.

    Different Meaning尋日好凍咗。
    尋日好凍。

    尋日好凍咗 is a good sentence, but 咗 adds a change: ‘it got cold yesterday’. Cantonese has no tense, so for ‘it was cold yesterday’ use the adjective alone: 尋日好凍.

  • Confusing 咗 (zo2) with 啲 (di1) for comparisons.

    呢個貴咗嗰個。
    呢個貴過嗰個。

    To compare two different things, use 過 (gwo3) or 啲 (di1). 咗 (zo2) is only for a change in the same object over time.

How It Connects

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咗（形容詞後）Level 3Change of State on an Adjective

Learn This First

To understand how '咗' works with adjectives, you first need to understand its primary role as a marker of completed action (perfective aspect). Since Cantonese adjectives behave like verbs (stative verbs), they can take aspect markers to show a change in state (e.g., 'getting dark' or 'having become thin').

Words in This Pattern