bou2孬
Jyutpingbou2
Yalebóu
Definition
Bad, useless, or no good.
- bad; no good; useless
- unruly; naughty
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This term is not native to Cantonese and is rarely used in daily speech by locals. It is a loanword from Mandarin dialects that carries a strong, derogatory connotation when describing someone as weak or cowardly. Most Cantonese speakers would prefer using 廢柴 or 冇用 instead of this character.
Examples
This person is really a coward.
Related words
Common phrases
coward or spineless person
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common Cantonese word, but it sounds very unnatural and out of place in a local Hong Kong context. Using it might make you sound like you are reading from a Mandarin textbook rather than speaking local Cantonese.
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.
