hau4侯
Jyutpinghau4
Yalehàuh
Definition
Marquess, the second of the five noble ranks in ancient China, or a general term for nobility.
writtenpeople
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively found in historical contexts or formal titles rather than everyday speech. It functions as a bound morpheme, meaning it rarely stands alone as a word in modern Cantonese. You will mostly encounter it in compound terms related to ancient social hierarchies or historical drama terminology.
Examples
The status of marquesses in ancient times was very high.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
