12 MODALITY: POSSIBILITY AND PROBABILITY

12.1 MODAL VERBS

12.1.1 POSSIBILITY AND PERMISSION"

你	可以	搭	巴士	去	文化	中心
Léih	hóyíh	daap	bāsí	heui	Màhnfa	Jūngsām
you	can	catch	bus	go	Cultural	Centre
‘You can take a bus (to get) to the Cultural Centre.’

12.1.2 ABILITY

你	識唔識	游水	呀?
Léih	sīk-m̀h-sīk	yàuh-séui	a?
you	know-not-know	swim	SFP
‘Can you swim?’

12.1.3 NECESSITY

呢	封	信	一定	要	你	簽	名	先	得
Lī	fūng	seun	yātdihng	yiu	léih	chīm	méng	sīn	dāk
this	CL	letter	definitely	need	you	sign	name	only	OK
‘This letter must have your signature in order to be valid.’

12.1.4 OBLIGATION

我哋	應該	差唔多	四	點	到
Ngóhdeih	yīnggōi	chā-mdō	sei	dím	dou
we	should	about	four	o’clock	arrive
‘We should be there about four.’

12.1.5 VOLITION: WISHES AND DESIRES

啲	學生	想	放完假	先	考試
Dī	hohksāang	séung	fong-yùhn-ga	sīn	háau-síh
CL	student	want	take-finish-leave	only	take-exam
‘The students don’t want to have their exams till after the holiday.’

12.1.6 PREFERENCE

我	寧願	賺	少	啲，	總之	唔	蝕	就	得	嘅	嘞
Ngóh	lìhngyún	jaahn	síu	dī	júngjī	m̀h	siht	jauh	dāk	ge	lak
I	rather	earn	less	some	as-long-as	not	lose	then	okay	SFP	SFP
‘I’d rather make a bit less, as long as I don’t make a loss.’

12.2 MODAL ADVERBS

12.2.1 ADVERBS OF POSSIBILITY

政府	可能	會	加	稅
Jingfú	hólàhng	wúih	gā	seui
government	maybe	will	raise	tax
‘The government might be going to raise taxes.’

12.2.2 ADVERBS OF NECESSITY

嗰	隻	馬	實	會	贏	嘅
Gó	jek	máh	saht	wúih	yèhng	ge
that	CL	horse	sure	will	win	SFP
‘That horse is bound to win.’

12.3 SYNTACTIC CONSTRUCTIONS EXPRESSING MODALITY

12.3.1 VERB – DĀK EXPRESSING POTENTIAL

呢	啲	屋	都	係	買	唔	過，	冇	保養	嘅
Lī	dī	ūk	dōu	haih	máaih	m̀h	gwo	móuh	bóuyéuhng	gé
this	CL	house	also	are	buy	not	pass	not-have	maintenance	SFP
‘It’s not safe to buy these houses, there’s no maintenance.’

12.3.2 YÁUH/MÓUH DĀK – VERB

嗰	種	病	有冇	得	醫	㗎?
Gó	júng	behng	yáuh-móuh	dāk	yī	ga?
that	CL	disease	have-not-have	can	treat	SFP
‘Can that disease be treated?’

12.3.3 VERB – (M̀H) – VERBAL PARTICLE EXPRESSING INABILITY

我哋	食	唔	晒	啲	餸
Ngóhdeih	sihk	m̀h	saai	dī	sung
we	eat	not	up	CL	food
‘We can’t finish (eating) the food.’