The rule: there is none, or it did not happen → 冇 (mou5); it has not happened yet, and it still might → 未 (mei6). Both are negatives, but 冇 closes the question and 未 leaves it open. For how these two sit next to 唔, see 唔 vs 冇.
| 冇 | 未 | |
|---|---|---|
| Jyutping | mou5 (tone 5, low rising) | mei6 (tone 6, low level) |
| Job | None, or it did not happen: a closed fact | Not yet: still expected |
| English twin | no, none, did not | not yet, have not yet |
| In a question | 有冇 asks did-or-didn't | Closes a question: 你食咗飯未 |
| Situation | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "I have no money" | 我冇錢 | Not having: 冇 |
| "I didn't eat" | 我冇食飯 | It did not happen, full stop: 冇 |
| "I haven't eaten yet" | 我未食飯 | It will happen later: 未 |
| "Have you eaten yet?" | 你食咗飯未 | Done-or-not-yet: 未 closes it. Answer 未, or 食咗喇 (see 喇 vs 啦) |
| "Did you do it?" | 你有冇做 | Yes-or-no about a finished action: 有冇 |
| "No problem" | 冇事 | There is no matter: 冇 |
| "Not yet" | 未得 | The set phrase uses 未 |
| "Not enough yet" | 未夠 | Still short, may get there: 未 |
| "Not necessarily" | 未必 | Not yet certain: 未 |
Using 未 for something that is never going to happen. 我未食花生 tells your host you will eat peanuts later. For "I don't eat peanuts", the negative is 唔 (see 唔 vs 冇). The reverse slip: 我冇做功課 sounds final, "I didn't do it", where 我未做功課 says "not yet, but I will". For the done-or-doing pair that often sits next to these, see 咗 vs 緊.
More classic mix-ups: 啲 vs 嘅, 咩 vs 乜, 唔 vs 冇; more learner answers on the FAQ page.
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