aat3戛

Jyutpingaat3

Yaleaat

Rare

Definition

A lance or halberd; to scrape or tap; a custom or law.

literaryancient lance or halberd
literaryto scrape, tap, or brush past
archaiccustom, law, or pattern

writtendaily actionsother

How it's used

The character 戛 is primarily used in literary or formal contexts to denote scraping or a specific type of sound. In modern spoken Cantonese, it is rarely used in its original sense and is often replaced by more common verbs like 刮 or 削. When used to describe customs, it is almost exclusively found in written or formal descriptions rather than casual conversation.

Examples

ni1呢go3個zaap6習zuk6俗gau6舊㗎gaa2喇。

This custom is quite old-fashioned.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪soeng2想aat3戛zau2走di1啲wu1污zou1糟je5嘢？

Are you trying to scrape off the dirt?

Common phrases

scraping sound or old-fashioned

Common mistake

Learners often confuse 戛 with 刮, which is the standard colloquial term for scraping or shaving off a surface. Using 戛 in daily speech will sound highly unnatural or overly formal to native speakers.