cou3燥
Jyutpingcou3
Yalechou
Definition
Dry; arid.
colloquialhealthweather
How it's used
Refers specifically to a sensation of dryness or heat, often used in the context of traditional Chinese medicine to describe an internal state. It is frequently paired with 濕 to describe the balance of internal body conditions. Unlike the more general term 乾, which describes the absence of moisture, this word carries a nuance of irritation or discomfort caused by that dryness.
Examples
The weather is very dry lately, remember to drink more water.
My throat feels very dry, do you have any throat lozenges?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 躁, which is a homophone used to describe being irritable or impatient. While they are sometimes written interchangeably in casual text, they have distinct meanings in formal contexts.
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.
