cou2 gan1草根
Jyutpingcou2 gan1
Yalechóu gān
Definition
Grassroots; referring to ordinary people with lower incomes and little power in society.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the socioeconomic status of ordinary people who lack political influence or significant wealth. It carries a sense of solidarity or empathy when used in political or social discourse. Unlike the English term which can sometimes feel academic, this is frequently used in news and casual conversation to describe the struggles of the working class.
Examples
They have always been speaking up for the grassroots.
What impact does this policy have on the grassroots?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal meaning of grass roots in a botanical sense, as the metaphorical usage is almost exclusively social.
Grammar color guide
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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).
