hat6齕龁
Jyutpinghat6
Yalehaht
Definition
To gnaw or nibble.
colloquialdaily actionsanimals
How it's used
Although technically a literary term for gnawing, it is occasionally used in specific colloquial contexts to describe the act of small, repetitive bites, especially by animals or when someone is eating something dry and crumbly. It carries a slightly more vivid, descriptive feel than the generic 食 or 咬. It is rarely used in formal writing today, where 咬 is preferred for all biting actions.
Examples
The mouse is gnawing on the biscuit.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 咬, which is the standard, universal word for bite. Using 齕 in a professional or formal setting will sound archaic or overly dramatic, as it is almost exclusively reserved for the specific physical action of gnawing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
