gwaa1 zo2瓜咗
Jyutpinggwaa1 zo2
Yalegwā jó
Definition
Dead; kicked the bucket.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Carries a blunt and informal tone that is strictly reserved for casual conversation among friends or peers. While it literally refers to death, it is frequently used to describe inanimate objects like electronic devices or machines that have permanently broken down. Avoid using this in professional settings or when speaking about someone who has recently passed away, as it sounds disrespectful and callous.
Examples
The computer died after only a few years of use.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this to describe a person who is simply tired or sleepy, but it specifically implies a state of being non-functional or dead. Using it to describe a person's physical state can be highly offensive.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
