caau2吵

Jyutpingcaau2

Yalecháau

動詞Common

Definition

To quarrel, argue, or have a verbal dispute.

colloquialpeopleemotion

How it's used

While 吵 is understood in Cantonese, the more natural and common way to express quarreling is 鬧交. Using 吵 can sometimes sound slightly more formal or influenced by written Chinese. It is frequently used in the context of noise, such as 嘈, which shares a similar character structure but specifically refers to the volume of sound rather than the act of arguing.

Examples

nei5你dei6哋loeng5兩go3個zou6做me1咩jau6又caau2吵aa3呀？

Why are you two quarreling again?

keoi5佢dei6哋loeng5兩gung1公po2婆sing4成jat6日caau2吵daai6大wok6鑊。

That couple is always having huge arguments.

Common phrases

caau2吵daai6大wok6鑊

to have a huge argument

zang1爭caau2吵

to quarrel

Common mistake

Learners often confuse 吵 with 嘈. Remember that 吵 is for the act of arguing or quarreling, whereas 嘈 is an adjective used to describe something that is noisy or loud.