cit3澈
Jyutpingcit3
Yalechit
Definition
Clear water, or completely and thoroughly.
- clear; limpid; transparent
- completely; thoroughly
writtennaturedescriptions
How it's used
Literary in nature, this character is rarely used in everyday spoken Cantonese except in specific idioms or formal descriptions of water. When describing clarity in casual speech, people almost always prefer using 清 instead. It is often confused with 徹底, which is the standard way to express the meaning of 'thoroughly' or 'completely'.
Examples
The water here is crystal clear and you can see the bottom.
Their way of speaking is completely clear and logical.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mix up 澈 with 徹底. While 澈 can mean clear, 徹底 is a fixed compound meaning thorough or complete, and the two are not interchangeable in most contexts.
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.
