au1漚沤
Jyutpingau1
Yaleāu
Definition
To brew or develop, especially of something bad or undesirable.
colloquialweatheremotion
How it's used
Focuses on the slow, internal buildup of something negative, such as bad weather, anger, or a festering wound. It implies a process that happens quietly over time before finally breaking out or becoming visible. It is rarely used for positive developments.
Examples
The sky is pitch black, it looks like it's about to rain.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin word for soaking or steeping, as in 漚茶. In Cantonese, it almost exclusively carries a negative connotation of something brewing or festering.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
