caat3 gaau1擦膠
Jyutpingcaat3 gaau1
Yalechaat gāau
Definition
Eraser; a common stationery item made of rubber or plastic used to remove pencil markings.
colloquialschool
How it's used
Refers specifically to the small block used for erasing pencil marks, distinct from the verb 擦 which means to wipe or scrub. It is almost exclusively used in a school or office context. While people sometimes use the English word rubber, 擦膠 remains the standard term in daily life.
Measure word
gau6嚿gauhExamples
I can't find the eraser, how can I rub out the pencil marks?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 擦膠 to refer to a rubber band, which is called 橡筋. Using 擦膠 for anything other than an eraser will sound confusing to native speakers.
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.
