cau3 zai2湊仔凑仔
Jyutpingcau3 zai2
Yalechau jái
Definition
To look after children; to babysit or raise kids.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the daily, hands-on labor of raising children rather than the abstract concept of parenting. It is common to hear 湊仔公 used to describe a man who takes on the primary responsibility of childcare, which historically challenged traditional gender roles in the household. The term implies a sense of physical effort and constant supervision.
Examples
He is a stay-at-home dad, it is very tiring.
Do you need to go back to look after the kids tonight?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this for general caretaking of adults or pets, as it is strictly reserved for children. Learners often mistakenly apply it to any form of looking after someone, but it specifically carries the nuance of child-rearing duties.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
