caat3唰
Jyutpingcaat3
Yalechaat
Definition
A swishing, rustling, or sweeping sound.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Functions primarily as an onomatopoeic word to describe the sound or motion of something moving quickly through the air or across a surface. It is frequently doubled to emphasize the continuous nature of the sound, such as wind blowing through leaves or water rushing past. The character is rarely used in formal writing and is almost exclusively reserved for vivid, descriptive storytelling in speech.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can mean to brush teeth or rinse, as those meanings are not standard in Cantonese. In Hong Kong, it is strictly an onomatopoeia for sound or rapid movement.
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.
