geoi6懼惧
Jyutpinggeoi6
Yalegeuih
Definition
To fear or be afraid of.
writtenemotion
How it's used
Functioning primarily as a bound morpheme in Cantonese, this character rarely stands alone in spoken language. It is almost exclusively found in formal or literary compounds like 恐懼. For everyday speech, native speakers will naturally reach for 驚 or 怕 instead.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this as a standalone verb in conversation, as it sounds overly dramatic or archaic. Stick to 驚 when expressing fear in daily life.
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.
