NAATI CCL Cantonese mistakes: what Cantonese candidates miss most
In 122 real Cantonese–English practice segments marked on naaticcl.com between 15 August 2026 and 21 October 2026, Cantonese candidates most often lost words that set the order of events, such as before, after and until: 57.6% of these information points were left out or changed, against 46.3% across all Cantonese information points.
- Cantonese learners lost 52.2% of information points when interpreting English into Cantonese, against 39.7% Cantonese into English.
- Next most often lost: conditions such as if and unless (48.4%) and negatives such as not, no and never (48.4%).
- Across all languages on the site, 50.3% of information points were lost.
Last updated 21 October 2026 · 122 Cantonese segments · 10 learners · How we counted
Which information Cantonese learners lose
The 4 types lost most, with examples
Each example is an original segment from our own Cantonese dialogues, the detail to keep and the model interpretation. No learner's answer is shown.
Order of events
57.6% of these information points were left out or changed (33 points in Cantonese practice).
Example from our dialogue Recruitment Agent Job Placement Interview · segment 11
Pay day is every second Thursday, directly into your bank account. Please bring your tax file number, passport, and bank details for verification before you start.
Detail to keep: Verification before starting work
Model interpretation: 每隔一個星期嘅星期四出糧，直接存入你嘅銀行戶口。請你喺開始返工之前，帶埋稅號、護照同銀行戶口資料嚟核實。
Note from the model answer: Every second Thursday means alternate Thursdays, not the second Thursday of each month.
How not to miss it: Keep before, after, until and then, and give the steps in the order the speaker gave them.
Conditions
48.4% of these information points were left out or changed (31 points in Cantonese practice).
Example from our dialogue Acute Conjunctivitis: Childcare Worker Consultation · segment 5
Yes, it can spread through close contact or shared towels. If your family avoids sharing towels or pillows and washes hands often, the risk stays low.
Detail to keep: Risk remains low if these precautions are followed
Model interpretation: 會㗎，可以透過密切接觸或者共用毛巾傳染。如果你屋企人唔共用毛巾同枕頭，又經常洗手，感染風險就會維持喺低水平。
Note from the model answer: Low risk with precautions does not mean there is no risk.
How not to miss it: Keep the if or unless part attached to the action it controls. Do not turn a condition into a plain statement.
Negatives
48.4% of these information points were left out or changed (31 points in Cantonese practice).
Example from our dialogue Acute Conjunctivitis: Childcare Worker Consultation · segment 3
Your eye looks inflamed with a yellow discharge, and there's no pain when I press near the eyelid. This looks like bacterial conjunctivitis, not viral.
Detail to keep: No pain when pressing near the eyelid
Model interpretation: 你隻眼睇落有發炎，仲有黃色分泌物，我撳眼皮附近嗰陣你亦都冇痛。睇嚟係細菌性結膜炎，唔係病毒性嘅。
Note from the model answer: Preserve both the absence of pain and the distinction between bacterial and viral conjunctivitis.
How not to miss it: Check the polarity before you speak. One missed not or no reverses the message.
Dates and times
44.4% of these information points were left out or changed (63 points in Cantonese practice).
Example from our dialogue Recruitment Agent Job Placement Interview · segment 7
Great. If you're available, you could start next Thursday, the fourteenth of May, with induction training first thing that morning.
Detail to keep: 14 May
Model interpretation: 好。如果你得閒嘅話，可以下個星期四，即係五月十四號開始返工，嗰朝一開始會先做入職培訓。
Note from the model answer: Keep the start conditional on availability and retain both the weekday and date.
How not to miss it: Note day, date and time as one block and keep them as said: next Monday stays next Monday, in two weeks is not soon.
More
All languages: what NAATI CCL candidates miss most · NAATI CCL Cantonese practice · All Cantonese dialogues · Common mistakes guide
Practice on naaticcl.com, marked by our AI marker. Not NAATI results.