coeng2 kau3搶購抢购
Jyutpingcoeng2 kau3
Yalechéung kau
Definition
To rush to buy; to panic buy.
colloquialshoppingdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the chaotic or competitive nature of the shopping experience rather than just the act of purchasing. It often implies a sense of urgency driven by external factors like shortages, sales, or public anxiety. Unlike simply buying, it carries a nuance of scrambling against others to secure limited stock.
Examples
I heard the supermarket is having a sale, people are rushing there to panic buy.
Why do you need to rush to buy these masks like everyone else?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 購買, which is a neutral, formal term for purchasing. Using 搶購 in a normal, calm shopping scenario will make it sound like you are describing a riot or a desperate situation.
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.
