coi2 kau3採購采购
Jyutpingcoi2 kau3
Yalechói kau
Definition
To select and purchase goods; to procure or source items.
neutralworkshopping
How it's used
This term is primarily used in formal business or professional contexts rather than for personal shopping. While it means to purchase, it implies a systematic process of selecting and sourcing goods, often in large quantities or for an organization. Using it to describe buying groceries for home would sound overly bureaucratic and unnatural.
Examples
He is responsible for procuring office supplies for the company.
Do you know where one can procure these parts?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe casual shopping, as it carries a sense of professional duty or industrial scale. For everyday personal purchases, use 買 or 買嘢 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
