ho1苛
Jyutpingho1
Yalehō
Definition
Severe, harsh, or overly demanding to an unbearable degree.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
This morpheme is almost exclusively found in the compound 苛刻. It carries a sense of excessive, unreasonable severity that goes beyond mere strictness, often implying a lack of empathy or flexibility. It is formal in tone and rarely stands alone in spoken Cantonese.
Examples
He is very harsh to his employees and is always scolding people.
These terms are too harsh, who could possibly accept them?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 苛刻 with 嚴格. While 嚴格 simply means strict or rigorous, 苛刻 carries a negative connotation of being overly demanding or unfair.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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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.
