Cantonese Sentence Builder

Cantonese word order without the grammar textbook

Knowing the words is not the same as knowing where they go. Cantonese sentence structure follows patterns that are consistent but often unlike English, particularly around time expressions, question particles and the placement of negation. This game gives you the words scrambled and asks you to assemble the sentence.

How to play

1. Read the English sentence you are being asked to build.
2. Tap the Cantonese words in the order you believe is correct.
3. Tap a placed word again to remove it if you change your mind.
4. Submit to check your ordering and see the correct version.

What you’ll practise

• Where time expressions sit in a Cantonese sentence, which is usually earlier than English.
• Question particles and where they attach.
• Negation placement, a frequent source of English-influenced errors.
• Building complete sentences rather than isolated vocabulary.

Assembling a sentence from parts is more demanding than recognising a correct one, and that difficulty is the point — it forces you to commit to a structure rather than accepting one that looks plausible. Getting a sentence wrong and seeing the correction is usually more instructive than reading the rule in advance.

Keep going

• Cantonese Word Match — build vocabulary first
• How Cantonese and Mandarin differ
• Book a fifteen-minute coffee chat