caai1搓
Jyutpingcaai1
Yalechāai
Definition
To knead, rub, or roll something with the hands to shape it.
- to knead, rub, or roll with the hands to change its shape
- slangto perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
colloquialdaily actionshealth
How it's used
Beyond the literal action of kneading dough or rolling objects, this verb is commonly used in medical slang to refer to performing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In this specific context, it is almost exclusively pronounced as caai1. It carries a sense of repetitive, rhythmic pressure applied by the palms.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 捽, which typically refers to rubbing a small area with one or two fingers to clean or irritate it, whereas 搓 involves the whole palm or both hands to shape or knead something.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
