hat1 kau4乞求
Jyutpinghat1 kau4
Yalehāt kàuh
Definition
To beg for or implore; to lower oneself to make a request.
neutralpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of desperation and loss of dignity, often implying that the person is lowering themselves to get what they want. Unlike casual requests, it suggests a power imbalance where the speaker feels they have no other choice but to humble themselves. It is rarely used in lighthearted contexts and usually signals a serious or dramatic situation.
Examples
For the sake of the job, he actually went to beg his boss.
Do you really need to beg for his forgiveness?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the more common verb 攞, which is used for simply asking for or taking something. Using 乞求 in a normal situation, like asking a friend for a pen, sounds overly dramatic and strange.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
