<p>得 here is part of an auxiliary verb: 有得 /冇得 in Cantonese.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>有得 = (Mandarin: 能/ 可以) = able to (qualified to)/ can</p>
</li>
<li><p>冇得 = (Mandarin: 不能/ 不可以) = unable to (not qualified to)/ cannot</p>
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>我聽日仲<strong>有</strong>面試添 = I also <strong>have</strong> an interview tomorrow (notice: <em>面試 here is a noun for &quot;an interview&quot;</em>)</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>我聽日<strong>有得</strong>面試添 I <strong>can</strong> (qualified to) do an interview tomorrow (notice: <em>面試 here is a verb for &quot;to do an interview&quot;</em>)</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>我聽日<strong>冇得</strong>面試 = I <strong>can't</strong> (not qualified to) do an interview tomorrow</p>
</blockquote>
<p>More examples of 有得 /冇得:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>考試合格<strong>有得</strong>去旅行 -  pass the exam and you <strong>can</strong> go on the field trip</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>考試唔合格<strong>冇得</strong>去旅行 - fail the exam and you <strong>can't</strong> go on the field trip</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>六十五歲或以上<strong>有得</strong>攞養老金 - A person 65 years old or older <strong>can</strong> receive an old-age pension</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>六十五歲以下<strong>冇得</strong>攞養老金 - a person under 65 years old <strong>can't</strong> receive an old-age pension</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Note:</p>
<p>In Mandarin, the auxiliary verb 得 means 要 = &quot;have to; must&quot; e.g. 我明天還<strong>得</strong>面試 (I still <strong>have to</strong> do an interview tomorrow).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-30T09:52:44.720Z
extremely clear discussions, as always. thank you.
cgo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-29T15:10:59.067Z
2022-03-29T15:27:09.443Z
2022-03-29T15:27:09.443Z
Tang Ho
<p>Intuitively, I would say the two sentences are somewhat different in meaning. With 得 you frame the interview positively, so you could alternatively translate the sentence as &quot;Tomorrow I still get to have an interview&quot; which implies that you are happy to do the interview. Whereas without 得 you frame the interview neutrally/negatively, i.e. it could imply that you are not looking forward to the interview.</p>
<p>Example:
如果你坐定定，可能有得食糖啊！(&quot;If you sit still, you might get to have candy/a sweet!&quot;)</p>
<p>With 添 at the end, as you rightly mentioned, suggests the interview is additional on top of something else, so the sentence with 得 might imply that 'the other thing' is good, whereas without 得  might imply that it is not. However I'm not sure how these bits of colloquial language might be formalised in terms of linguistics/grammar terminology.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-30T10:15:25.170Z
adding 得 to 有 to make it "有得" doesn't necessarily frame the verb positively, for example, 有得震冇得瞓 (can only get scared, but can't get any sleep); 監都有得你坐 ( you can go to jail for that). You are using Mandarin grammar to interpret a Cantonese term. Please read my answer, The 有(have) in Mandarin has a different meaning in the Cantonese term 有得 (able + get = can)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-30T15:19:35.410Z
@TangHo "有得震冇得瞓" - There's a bit of sarcasm here. You don't get to sleep but you "get to" tremble. Same with 有得坐監.
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-29T14:49:30.080Z
2022-03-29T14:49:30.080Z
mbjb
<p>I would like to ask about the function of 得 in this sentence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我聽日仲有得面試添。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I understood the sentence as: &quot;Tomorrow I still have an interview (additionally, on top of something else that might not have been mentioned).&quot;</p>
<p>My question is why is there a &quot;得&quot;? I think the statement &quot;我聽日仲有面試添。&quot; without the &quot;得&quot; might have been perfectly fine?</p>

<grammar><usage><cantonese>
What is the function of 得 in 我聽日仲有得面試添 in Cantonese?
# What is the function of 得 in 我聽日仲有得面試添 in Cantonese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-03-29)

I would like to ask about the function of 得 in this sentence:

> 我聽日仲有得面試添。

I understood the sentence as: "Tomorrow I still have an interview (additionally, on top of something else that might not have been mentioned)."

My question is why is there a "得"? I think the statement "我聽日仲有面試添。" without the "得" might have been perfectly fine?

**Tags:** grammar, usage, cantonese


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-03-29. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

得 here is part of an auxiliary verb: 有得 /冇得 in Cantonese.

* 有得 = (Mandarin: 能/ 可以) = able to (qualified to)/ can
* 冇得 = (Mandarin: 不能/ 不可以) = unable to (not qualified to)/ cannot

> 我聽日仲**有**面試添 = I also **have** an interview tomorrow (notice: *面試 here is a noun for "an interview"*)

> 我聽日**有得**面試添 I **can** (qualified to) do an interview tomorrow (notice: *面試 here is a verb for "to do an interview"*)

> 我聽日**冇得**面試 = I **can't** (not qualified to) do an interview tomorrow

More examples of 有得 /冇得:

> 考試合格**有得**去旅行 - pass the exam and you **can** go on the field trip

> 考試唔合格**冇得**去旅行 - fail the exam and you **can't** go on the field trip

> 六十五歲或以上**有得**攞養老金 - A person 65 years old or older **can** receive an old-age pension

> 六十五歲以下**冇得**攞養老金 - a person under 65 years old **can't** receive an old-age pension

Note:

In Mandarin, the auxiliary verb 得 means 要 = "have to; must" e.g. 我明天還**得**面試 (I still **have to** do an interview tomorrow).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: extremely clear discussions, as always. thank you.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-03-29. Score: 2

Intuitively, I would say the two sentences are somewhat different in meaning. With 得 you frame the interview positively, so you could alternatively translate the sentence as "Tomorrow I still get to have an interview" which implies that you are happy to do the interview. Whereas without 得 you frame the interview neutrally/negatively, i.e. it could imply that you are not looking forward to the interview.

Example:
如果你坐定定，可能有得食糖啊！("If you sit still, you might get to have candy/a sweet!")

With 添 at the end, as you rightly mentioned, suggests the interview is additional on top of something else, so the sentence with 得 might imply that 'the other thing' is good, whereas without 得 might imply that it is not. However I'm not sure how these bits of colloquial language might be formalised in terms of linguistics/grammar terminology.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: adding 得 to 有 to make it "有得" doesn't necessarily frame the verb positively, for example, 有得震冇得瞓 (can only get scared, but can't get any sleep); 監都有得你坐 ( you can go to jail for that). You are using Mandarin grammar to interpret a Cantonese term. Please read my answer, The 有(have) in Mandarin has a different meaning in the Cantonese term 有得 (able + get = can)  
> **username_3**: @username_1 "有得震冇得瞓" - There's a bit of sarcasm here. You don't get to sleep but you "get to" tremble. Same with 有得坐監.  

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