gwaa2 gung1寡公

Jyutpinggwaa2 gung1

Yalegwá gūng

Definition

A widower; a man who has lost his spouse.

colloquialpeoplefamily

How it's used

Refers specifically to a man whose spouse has died, carrying a slightly more formal or descriptive tone than simply saying someone lost their wife. It is rarely used in direct address and is more common when discussing someone's marital status in a narrative context. The term is gender-specific and pairs conceptually with 寡婦 for women.

Measure word

go3個go

Examples

keoi5佢lou5老po4婆zau2走zo2咗zi1之hau6後，bin3變zo2咗zou6做gwaa2寡gung1公。

After his wife passed away, he became a widower.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知bin1邊go3個hai6係gwaa2寡gung1公aa4呀？

Do you know who is a widower?

Common phrases

zou6做gwaa2寡gung1公

to be a widower

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with general terms for single men, but it strictly implies the death of a spouse. Using it to describe a man who is merely divorced or never married is factually incorrect and potentially offensive.