hau6後后
Jyutpinghau6
Yalehauh
Definition
Behind; back; rear; the direction opposite to the one facing.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Refers specifically to spatial orientation or relative position rather than time. When describing the back of a person or object, Cantonese speakers prefer the compound 後面 or the more specific body part term 背脊. It functions as a directional indicator in movement verbs like 行後 or 坐後.
Examples
There is a traffic jam ahead, let's walk further back.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 後生, which means young. Learners often mistakenly use 後 to refer to time, such as 'after', but for time sequences, Cantonese uses 之後 or 遲啲.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
