ABSTRACT
Auxiliary verbs are used together with a main verb. The most important auxiliary verbs are: wúih 會 will, would yīnggōi 應該 should, ought to hóyíh 可以 can, may yiu 要,sēuiyiu 需要 want, need sīk 識 know (how to) séung 想 want to They express mainly ‘modal’ meanings having to do with possibility and necessity. The auxiliary verbs come before the main verb: Ngóh wúih sé-seun béi léih 我會寫信畀你 I’ll write to you. Léih yīnggōi douh-hip 你應該道歉 You should apologize. Kéuih sīk góng Faatmán 佢識講法文 He can speak French. An adverb may intervene between auxiliary and verb, as in the following examples: Léih hóyíh sīn heui Jūngwáahn 你可以先去中環 You can go to Central first. Ngóh yīnggōi dō dī wahn-duhng 我應該多啲運動 I should exercise more. Ngóhdeih séung faai dī bātyihp 我哋想快啲畢業 We want to graduate quickly. Note that some of the auxiliary verbs double as main verbs: Main verb Auxiliary sīk 識 to know (someone) sīk 識 to know (how to do something) yiu 要 to want (something) yiu 要 to need (to do something) 102Compare the meanings in the following: Ngóh sīk kéuih 我識佢 I know her. Ngóh sīk yàuh-séui 我識游水 I know how to swim. Kéuih yiu gafē 佢要咖啡 She wants coffee. Kéuih yiu sihk-yéh 佢要食嘢 She wants/needs to eat A rare irregularity should be noted here. The form m̀h yiu 唔要 means ‘don’t want’, usually as a main verb: Ngóh m̀h yiu tìhmbán, mgōi 我唔要甜品’唔該 I don’t want any dessert, thanks. Kéuih m̀h yiu daap fēigēi 佢唔要搭飛機 He doesn’t want to take the plane. However, the negative form of yiu 要 used as an auxiliary meaning ‘need’ is not m̀h yiu 唔要 but msái 唔使: Ngóh gāmyaht yiu fāan-gūng 我今日要返工 I need to go to work today. but Ngóh gāmyaht msái fāan-gūng 我今日唔使返工 I don’t need to go to work today. Kéuih yiu tái yīsāng 佢要睇醫生 He needs to see the doctor. but Kéuih msái tái yīsāng 佢唔使睇醫生 He doesn’t need to see the doctor. sēuiyiu 需要 is a more explicit form of yiu 要:
Ngóhdeih sēuiyiu dō dī yāusīk We need to rest more. 我哋需要多啲休息
Léih m̀h sēuiyiu gam sām-gāp You needn’t be so impatient. 你唔需要咁心急
háng 肯 ‘to be willing’ is used mainly (though not exclusively) in the negative form m̀h háng 唔肯: Ngóh go jái m̀h háng fāan-hohk 我個仔唔肯返學 My son won’t go to school. Kéuih m̀h háng tēng ngóh dihnwá 佢唔肯聽我電話 She won’t answer my calls. Ngóh gājē háng bōng-sáu 我家姐肯幫手 My (elder) sister is willing to help.