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Forming complex sentences in Cantonese



Previously, I explained how to form basic sentences in Cantonese; they're really simple if you consider it, and with enough practice, you would be able to create and apply phrases without too much thought. This blog post will help you navigate through creating somewhat more complex phrases especially when it involves more than one verb. Once again, this is not too difficult, hence approach this with a straightforward mind. 




Modal verbs


Modal verbs: what are they? These are also known in English as modal auxiliary verbs, verbs expressing qualities like possibility, ability, and obligation. They comprise words like "will, can, must, should, might" and so forth. In Cantonese, they also convey, of course, obligation and tell us about the possibility or ability of the topic. A fancy term, but not overly complicated. Since they are auxiliary verbs—that is, "helping verbs," their purpose is to "help" and "support," so modal verbs are never used by themselves in a sentence; this rule also applies to English. Thus, to create a sentence including a modal, it would look like: 

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