giu1澆浇
Jyutpinggiu1
Yalegīu
Definition
To pour liquid onto something in order to wet it.
colloquialdaily actionsfood
How it's used
While 澆 is understood in Cantonese, it is often perceived as slightly more formal or literary compared to the everyday verb 淋. In casual speech, people almost exclusively use 淋 when referring to watering plants or pouring liquid over food. Using 澆 in daily life can sound a bit stiff or like you are reading from a textbook.
Examples
Please help me pour some water on the potted plant.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 澆 with 淋, but 淋 is the standard colloquial choice for watering plants or pouring sauce. 澆 is reserved for more formal contexts or specific idioms like 火上澆油.
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.
