gu2 lai6鼓勵鼓励
Jyutpinggu2 lai6
Yalegú laih
Definition
To encourage, support, and motivate someone to do something.
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How it's used
While this term is widely understood, it carries a slightly formal or academic tone compared to more casual ways of expressing support. In everyday speech, people often prefer using phrases like 撐或者支持 when talking about backing someone up. It is most commonly used in contexts involving personal growth, education, or professional development.
Examples
The teacher really encourages us to ask more questions.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this word to mean cheering someone on during a sports match or a performance, as that is better expressed by 嗌加油. Using it in that context sounds overly clinical or like a formal speech.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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).
