gau3購购
Jyutpinggau3
Yalegau
Definition
To buy or purchase.
writtenshoppingmoney
How it's used
Functions almost exclusively as a formal or literary morpheme in Cantonese, appearing in compound words like 購物 or 採購. Using it as a standalone verb in casual speech sounds highly unnatural and overly dramatic, as 買 is the standard choice for all everyday transactions. It is mostly encountered in written advertisements, official notices, or formal business contexts.
Examples
This product is very popular, many people are rushing to buy it.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this in daily conversation to mean buying groceries or shopping, as it will sound like you are reading from a formal government announcement. Stick to 買 for all normal social interactions.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
