gwai1 gau3歸咎归咎

Jyutpinggwai1 gau3

Yalegwāi gau

動詞Rare

Definition

To lay the blame on; to attribute a fault to oneself or others.

writtenother

How it's used

This is a formal verb that carries a sense of intellectual or analytical judgment. It is rarely used in casual, everyday speech and is more common in written reports, news commentary, or serious discussions about the cause of a negative outcome. Using it in a lighthearted conversation can make you sound overly dramatic or pretentious.

Examples

nei5你m4唔hou2好zoeng1將zaak3責jam6任gwai1歸gau3咎喺hai2我ngo5度dou6呀。

Don't you go blaming me for the responsibility.

keoi5佢seng4成jat6日zoeng1將sat1失baai6敗gwai1歸gau3咎waan4環ging2境，cung4從loi4來m4唔gim2檢tou2討zi6自gei2己。

He always blames the environment for his failures and never reflects on himself.

Common phrases

gwai1歸gau3咎jyu1於

to attribute to

gwai1歸gau3咎jyun4原jan1因

to attribute the cause

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with simple blaming verbs like 怪. While 怪 is a general term for blaming someone, 歸咎 implies a specific, often logical or systematic attribution of a fault to a particular cause.