gou2杲
Jyutpinggou2
Yalegóu
Definition
Bright, shining sun; high or brilliant; a Chinese surname.
- bright; shining sun; high
- a Chinese surname
writtenpeoplenature
How it's used
This character is extremely rare in modern spoken Cantonese and is almost exclusively encountered as a surname. While it carries the literary meaning of bright or high, you will rarely hear it used as an adjective in daily life. Most native speakers would only recognize it when reading a name card or a formal document.
Examples
His name is very unique, he is called Mr. Gou.
The bright sun is shining on the sea.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 杲, which is a very uncommon character, and avoid using it in casual conversation to describe brightness, as it will sound overly poetic or confusing to listeners.
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.
