hiu1梟枭
Jyutpinghiu1
Yalehīu
Definition
Owl, or a trafficker.
- owl
- trafficker
writtenanimalspeople
How it's used
Refers primarily to the bird of prey, but carries a strong secondary meaning in criminal contexts. When used to describe a person, it implies a powerful, often ruthless mastermind behind illegal trades. It is rarely used in casual conversation unless discussing wildlife or crime reports.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
That owl is watching us from up in the tree.
The police arrested several drug traffickers.
Related words
Common phrases
drug lord
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 猫頭鷹, which is the standard, everyday term for an owl. Using 梟 in casual speech to refer to a common bird will sound overly literary or strange to most native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
