A1
都 — both “also” and “all”
How 都 covers “too” and “all” in Cantonese, why 也 belongs to writing rather than speech, and where it sits relative to the verb.
Mandarin splits these: 也 is too and 都 is all. Cantonese uses 都 for both, and context decides which is meant.
我都係學生。
Ngo5 dou1 hai6 hok6saang1.
I’m a student too.
我哋都好忙。
Ngo5dei6 dou1 hou2 mong4.
We’re all busy.
Both sentences are the same shape. The first has a singular subject so 都 must mean too; the second has a plural one and 都 gathers it up. Ambiguity is rare in practice and resolved by what came before.
我也係學生。
我都係學生。
也 exists in written Chinese and in Cantonese read from a page. In speech it is 都, always.
Before the verb, always
An adverb goes in front of the verb — or in front of 好 if there is one — and never at the end.
佢都唔知。
Keoi5 dou1 m4 zi1.
He doesn’t know either.
Note the order: 都 then 唔. 都唔 is doesn’t … either; 唔…都 would be a different sentence.
都 looks backwards
As in Mandarin, whatever 都 gathers up has to come before it. It sums up rather than announces.
我啲朋友都嚟咗。
Ngo5 di1 pang4jau5 dou1 lai4zo2.
All my friends came.
又 — and also, and again
又 is also in the sense of adding a second fact, and again of something that has recurred. It does not replace 都.
佢又遲到喇。
Keoi5 jau6 ci4dou3 laa3.
He’s late again.
又平又好食。
Jau6 peng4 jau6 hou2sik6.
Cheap and tasty.
平 is cheap in Cantonese, where Mandarin uses 便宜 — one of many everyday words that simply differ.