Is Cantonese grammar easy?

Because the languages are so similar, Cantonese grammar is as easy to learn as Chinese grammar. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that learning Cantonese is going to be any easier than learning any other language. In fact, it’s one of the hardest.

Is Cantonese grammar hard?

Cantonese is a tonal language, which can be hugely challenging for English speakers who are used to speaking with emphasis (“I didn’t eat YOUR sandwich!”) and inflection, rising tones to pose a question. Cantonese can be difficult even for those fluent in other Chinese dialects because of its tonal system.

Does Cantonese have grammar?

While pronunciation is completely different in Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese, the grammar is almost identical. Cantonese, however, is slightly more fluid in its sentence structure, and can change round the order of words with much more ease than in Mandarin.

How is Cantonese different from English?

Cantonese is a tonal language. This means it uses rising and falling tones to express word meaning. English is different in that changes in intonation‏‎ produce changes in emotion or to show question/statement. You will need to use diagrams to explain how intonation in English works and then, of course, practice.

Is Cantonese SOV or SVO?

Cantonese is an analytic language in which the arrangement of words in a sentence is important to its meaning. A basic sentence is in the form of SVO, i.e. a subject is followed by a verb then by an object, though this order is often violated because Cantonese is a topic-prominent language.

Is Mandarin very different to Cantonese?

Although spoken Mandarin and Cantonese are not mutually intelligible phonetically and have differences in grammar and vocabulary, someone who speaks Mandarin will have many clues and a similar language framework to use to begin understanding Cantonese and vice versa.