住

Durative Aspect

Level 2Sounds Like zyu6

In Cantonese, 住 (zyu6) is attached directly after a verb to mark the continuous, durative aspect. It shows that a state resulting from an action stays unchanged (e.g., wearing clothes, holding something). It is also used to describe doing one action while in a background state, or holding an action temporarily ("for now" or "not yet").

How It Works

The durative aspect marker 住 (zyu6) serves several important functions in daily spoken Cantonese:

1. Static Continuous State
When attached to posture verbs (坐 co5 "sit", 企 kei5 "stand", 瞓 fan3 "lie down") or contact/holding verbs (著 zoek3 "wear", 戴 daai3 "wear accessories", 揸 zaa1 "hold"), 住 (zyu6) emphasizes that the physical state continues without change.
Example: 佢揸住個包 (keoi5 zaa1 zyu6 go3 baau1 - "He is holding the bag").

2. Background Action / Manner (V1住 + V2)
When two verbs are chained together, V1 + 住 sets the background posture or manner in which V2 is performed.
Example: 佢瞓住睇書 (keoi5 fan3 zyu6 tai2 syu1 - "He reads a book while lying down").

3. Temporary Action ("for now" / "not yet")
• Combine with 先 (sin1) to mean doing something temporarily for now: 食住先 (sik6 zyu6 sin1 - "eat for now").
• Combine with negative words like 咪 (mai5) or 唔好 (m4 hou2) to express a temporary hold ("don't... just yet"): 咪食住 (mai5 sik6 zyu6 - "don't eat yet").

4. Lexicalized Idiomatic Shifts
Some verbs gain specific meanings when paired with 住 (zyu6):
• 諗 (nam2 "think") → 諗住 (nam2 zyu6 "plan to / intend to")
• 睇 (tai2 "look") → 睇住 (tai2 zyu6 "watch over / keep an eye on")
• 掛 (gwaa3 "hang") → 掛住 (gwaa3 zyu6 "miss someone / be preoccupied with")

Constraints:
• Do not stack 住 (zyu6) with 緊 (gan2) for progressive action.
• Note that while 住 as an aspect marker cannot stack with 緊 (gan2), 住 + 咗 (zo2) is valid when 住 functions as a resultative complement (e.g. 記住咗 gei3 zyu6 zo2 "remembered", 鎖住咗 so2 zyu6 zo2 "locked").
• Do not attach 住 (zyu6) as a durative marker to permanent stative verbs like 係 (hai6 "to be"), 有 (jau5 "to have"), or 識 (sik1 "to know").

Examples (5)

  1. 佢著住件外套。

    She is wearing a jacket.

    Word by Word: She wear durative classifier jacket.

    Here 著住 (zoek3 zyu6) shows the static state of having a jacket on, rather than the dynamic act of putting it on.

  2. 佢瞓住睇書。

    He reads a book while lying down.

    Word by Word: He lie-down durative look book.

    瞓住 (fan3 zyu6) serves as the background manner or posture for the main verb 睇書 (tai2 syu1).

  3. 咪食住，等埋我先！

    Don't eat yet, wait for me first!

    Word by Word: Don't eat durative, wait together me first!

    Combining 咪 (mai5) with 食住 (sik6 zyu6) forms a temporary hold: "don't start eating just yet".

  4. 你飲住水先啦。

    Drink some water for now.

    Word by Word: You drink durative water first particle.

    Using 飲住 (jam3 zyu6) with 先 (sin1) indicates a temporary action to do for the time being.

  5. 我諗住同朋友去旅行。

    I plan to go on a trip with my friend.

    Word by Word: I think durative with friend go travel.

    諗住 (nam2 zyu6) is a fixed lexical phrase meaning "plan to" or "intend to".

Common Mistakes

  • Using 住 (zyu6) for active dynamic actions instead of 緊 (gan2).

    我食住飯。
    我食緊飯。

    If you are actively in the middle of eating rice, use the progressive marker 緊 (gan2). 住 (zyu6) marks a static continuous state or temporary hold.

  • Stacking durative 住 (zyu6) with progressive aspect 緊 (gan2).

    佢食住緊飯。
    佢食緊飯。

    You cannot stack the durative aspect marker 住 (zyu6) with the progressive marker 緊 (gan2). Note that 住 can combine with 咗 (zo2) only when 住 acts as a resultative complement (such as 鎖住咗 so2 zyu6 zo2 'locked'), not when functioning as a durative aspect marker.

  • Attaching 住 (zyu6) to permanent stative verbs.

    我識住呢個人。
    我識呢個人。

    Verbs representing inherent or permanent states like 識 (sik1 - to know someone) or 係 (hai6 - to be) cannot take aspect markers like 住 (zyu6).

How It Connects

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住Level 2Durative Aspect

Learn This First

To understand the durative aspect marker '住', you first need to understand how Cantonese uses verbal particles to mark aspect rather than tense. It is also helpful to distinguish it from the progressive marker '緊' to understand that '住' focuses on a continuous state rather than an ongoing action.

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