gaau2狡
Jyutpinggaau2
Yalegáau
Definition
Cunning, crafty, and full of tricks; not following the straight path.
neutraldescriptionspeople
How it's used
Functions almost exclusively as a bound morpheme in modern Cantonese, meaning it rarely stands alone as a complete adjective. It appears most frequently in the compound 狡猾 to describe someone who is deceitful or tricky. While it carries a strong negative connotation, it is often used to describe someone who is clever in a way that lacks integrity.
Examples
He is very cunning, you must not trust him.
Why are you so sly, always coming up with twisted logic?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use it as a standalone adjective to describe someone. Always pair it with 滑 to form the standard descriptor 狡猾.
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.
