gu2 dung6鼓動鼓动
Jyutpinggu2 dung6
Yalegú duhng
Definition
To agitate, incite, or instigate; to encourage or rouse.
- to agitate, incite, or instigate
- to encourage, inspire, or rouse
colloquialcommunicationpeople
How it's used
While often used in formal writing to mean inspire, in spoken Cantonese it carries a stronger, more negative connotation of stirring up trouble or manipulating others. It implies a sense of underhanded influence rather than genuine encouragement. Use 鼓勵 when you want to express positive support or motivation.
Examples
He is always agitating people to go on strike behind the scenes.
Related words
Common phrases
to stir up public sentiment
to be incited by someone
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 鼓動 with 鼓勵. 鼓勵 is positive encouragement, whereas 鼓動 almost always implies a hidden agenda or inciting someone to take disruptive action.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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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.
