ho2 wu3可惡可恶
Jyutpingho2 wu3
Yalehó wu
Definition
Hateful, abominable, or detestable.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
While 可惡 is understood in Cantonese, it carries a slightly formal or literary tone compared to the much more common colloquial term 乞人憎. It is frequently used in written contexts, news reports, or when someone wants to express strong moral indignation in a more dramatic way. In everyday speech, you will hear 乞人憎 or 討厭 far more often to describe someone or something that is annoying or detestable.
Examples
That person always lies to people, it is truly hateful.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 可惡 as a direct translation for annoying or irritating, but it is much stronger than that. It implies a sense of malice or moral wrongness, so using it to describe a minor inconvenience like a slow internet connection or a small mistake can sound overly dramatic or unnatural.
Grammar color guide
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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.
