hau2 hot3口渴
Jyutpinghau2 hot3
Yaleháu hot
Definition
Thirsty; having a dry throat and needing fluids to drink.
colloquialbodyhealth
How it's used
Expressing thirst in Cantonese often involves the particle 呀 at the end to soften the tone, especially when making a request for a drink. While 口渴 is standard, native speakers frequently use the more colloquial 頸渴 to describe the same physical sensation. Using 頸渴 sounds slightly more natural and informal in daily conversation.
Examples
Are you thirsty? I'll buy you a bottle of water.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse 口渴 with 乾涸, but 乾涸 is typically used for rivers or wells drying up, not for human thirst. Stick to 口渴 or 頸渴 when talking about yourself or others.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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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.
