gou2 muk6槁木
Jyutpinggou2 muk6
Yalegóu muhk
Definition
Rotten or withered wood.
writtennaturedescriptions
How it's used
Refers primarily to dead or withered wood, but is frequently used metaphorically to describe a person who has lost all drive, emotion, or vitality. It carries a strong literary or formal nuance compared to everyday terms for rotten items. When applied to people, it suggests a state of complete apathy or spiritual exhaustion.
Measure word
gau6嚿gauhExamples
His heart is like dead wood, he has no interest in anything.
This rotten wood has been left here for a long time, hurry up and throw it away.
Related words
Common phrases
dead wood and cold ashes, describing a state of total apathy
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe simple decay in household objects, as it sounds overly poetic or dramatic for mundane contexts like a rotting chair or table.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
