A1
有 — having, and there being
How 有 covers possession and existence in Cantonese, and why 有冇 is the question form where Mandarin uses 有没有.
有 is to have, and it works as you would expect.
我有兩個仔女。
Ngo5 jau5 loeng5 go3 zai2neoi2.
I have two children.
佢有架車。
Keoi5 jau5 gaa3 ce1.
He’s got a car.
Note 兩 rather than 二 before a classifier, exactly as in Mandarin — and note 架, the classifier for vehicles, where Mandarin uses 辆.
With a place in front, it means “there is”
Same verb, same shape. Put a location where the subject goes.
枱面有本書。
Toi2min2 jau5 bun2 syu1.
There’s a book on the table.
附近有間茶餐廳。
Fu6gan6 jau5 gaan1 caa4caan1teng1.
There’s a cha chaan teng nearby.
The thing that exists comes after 有 and is nearly always indefinite — a book, not the book. Which is precisely the job a bare classifier does in the other direction.
The negative is 冇
Not 唔有. 冇 is one character and it is the only negative 有 takes.
我冇錢。
Ngo5 mou5 cin2.
I haven’t got any money.
嗰度冇人。
Go2dou6 mou5 jan4.
There’s nobody there.
Asking
有冇 is the A-not-A form, built from the verb and its own negative rather than with 唔.
附近有冇銀行呀？
Fu6gan6 jau5 mou5 ngan4hong4 aa3?
Is there a bank nearby?
你有冇時間呀？
Nei5 jau5 mou5 si4gaan3 aa3?
Have you got time?
Mandarin says 有没有 in three characters; Cantonese says 有冇 in two, and it is one of the most useful things to have ready.