gau2夂
Jyutpinggau2
Yalegáu
Definition
The "walk slowly" component in Chinese characters.
writtenother
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively encountered as a component or radical in Chinese script rather than as a standalone word in modern Cantonese. It is visually distinct from 夊, which has a longer stroke, though they are often confused in dictionary lookups. Learners should focus on recognizing it as a semantic indicator for movement or walking in complex characters.
Examples
The radical 夂 usually means to walk slowly.
Related words
Common mistake
Beginners frequently confuse 夂 with 夊 or even the number 夂, which is a rare variant of 夂. Always check the stroke length and direction to distinguish these radicals accurately.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
