The rule: a question that starts with what → 乜 (mat1) or 咩 (me1); a statement turned into a surprised question by a final particle → only 咩. Mandarin has one 什麼 for the first job and 嗎 for the second; Cantonese gives 咩 both.
| 咩 | 乜 | |
|---|---|---|
| Jyutping | me1 (tone 1, high level) | mat1 (tone 1, high); the dictionary also lists the reading me1 |
| Job | What; also a final particle that makes a statement a question of doubt or surprise | What (colloquial), as in 乜嘢 and 乜事 |
| Ends a sentence? | Yes, as the surprise particle | Usually not: it leads the question, except in set phrases such as 做乜 and 為乜 |
| Mandarin twin | 什麼 (shénme); 嗎 (ma) with doubt | 什麼 (shénme) |
| Situation | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "What is it?" | 咩嘢 or 乜嘢 | What thing: both are in everyday use |
| "What's the matter?" | 乜事 | 乜 in front of 事 |
| "What are you doing?" | 做乜嘢 or 做咩 | Do-what, with either word |
| "What did you say?" | 咩話 | The set phrase uses 咩 |
| "You know him?!" | 你識佢咩 | A statement plus 咩 at the end: doubt or surprise, not a neutral question |
| "What kind of person?" | 乜人 | The dictionary reads 乜 as me1 here |
Ending a statement with 乜 to show surprise (你走乜). The surprise particle is 咩: 你走咩. The second slip goes the other way: hearing 你識佢咩 as a plain question. The 咩 says you doubt it. To ask neutrally, use the do-you-know form, 你識唔識佢.
More classic mix-ups: 啲 vs 嘅, 去 vs 嚟, 冇 vs 未; more learner answers on the FAQ page.
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