gau1佝
Jyutpinggau1
Yalegāu
Definition
Stooped or hunched, often associated with rickets.
colloquialbodydescriptions
How it's used
Used primarily to describe a hunched posture, often associated with aging or poor habits. While it can refer to the medical condition rickets, it is far more common in daily life to describe someone who is physically stooped or slouching. It carries a slightly descriptive, informal tone when pointing out someone's posture.
Examples
Why do you always walk with your back hunched over?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 彎, which is a more general term for bending or curving. 佝 specifically implies a hunched or rounded back, often suggesting a lack of upright posture.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
