tou3吐
Jyutpingtou3
Yaletou
Definition
To speak, talk, or express.
colloquialcommunicationemotion
How it's used
Used primarily in the specific compound 吐苦水, which describes the act of venting grievances or pouring out one's troubles to a sympathetic listener. It carries a slightly more dramatic or emotional weight than simply saying 講嘢. It is rarely used as a standalone verb for general talking in modern spoken Cantonese.
Examples
Why are you complaining to me?
Related words
Common phrases
to vent one's grievances
Common mistake
Do not use this as a general synonym for talking. It is almost exclusively reserved for expressing deep-seated complaints or emotional burdens.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Particle
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
