cau1 hei3抽氣抽气
Jyutpingcau1 hei3
Yalechāu hei
Definition
To extract or exhaust air, especially to ventilate a room.
- to ventilate by drawing indoor air outside
- to extract or pump out air from an object
colloquialhomedaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used in the context of mechanical ventilation, particularly regarding kitchen or bathroom exhaust systems. While it literally refers to the action of extracting air, it is almost exclusively paired with 扇 to refer to the appliance itself. It is rarely used to describe the general concept of room ventilation, for which people prefer terms like 通風.
Examples
The exhaust fan in the kitchen is broken.
Turn the exhaust fan up higher to ventilate the room.
Related words
Common phrases
exhaust fan
Common mistake
Do not use this to mean breathing or inhaling air, as that would be 吸氣. It specifically refers to the mechanical removal of air from a confined space.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
