ciu4潮
Jyutpingciu4
Yalechìuh
Definition
Tide; the rise and fall of water levels in rivers, lakes, or seas.
colloquialnaturedescriptions
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of water levels, this character is extremely common in modern slang to mean trendy or fashionable. When used in this sense, it is often doubled as 潮潮 to describe someone or something that is very stylish. It functions as a prefix for many nouns related to fashion, such as 潮人 for a trendsetter.
Examples
The tide is coming in very strongly today.
Do you know what time the tide will go out?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the literal noun usage with the slang adjective usage, as the context determines whether you are talking about the ocean or someone's outfit. Using it to describe a person as 潮 is informal and should be avoided in professional or formal settings.
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.
