gou1 joek6膏藥膏药
Jyutpinggou1 joek6
Yalegōu yeuhk
Definition
Medical patch or plaster with medicine applied to one side of paper or cloth, stuck directly onto the skin.
colloquialhealth
How it's used
Beyond its literal meaning as a medicinal patch, this term is frequently used metaphorically to describe someone who is incredibly clingy or persistent in a way that is annoying. If you describe a person as a 膏藥, you are implying they are stuck to you like glue and refuse to leave you alone. This figurative usage is quite common in daily life to complain about unwanted attention.
Measure word
faai3塊faiExamples
Your lower back hurts, would applying a medical patch make it feel better?
Related words
Common phrases
to apply a medical patch
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with generic adhesive bandages or plasters used for small cuts, which are usually called 膠布. 膏藥 specifically refers to the traditional herbal, often sticky and dark-colored, patches used for muscle aches or chronic pain.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
