hon1 ngau4看牛
Jyutpinghon1 ngau4
Yalehōn ngàuh
Definition
To herd cattle; to watch over grazing cows.
colloquialanimalsdaily actions
How it's used
Beyond the literal agricultural meaning, this term is frequently used metaphorically to describe the act of keeping a close, watchful eye on someone who is prone to wandering off or getting into trouble. It implies a sense of patience and constant supervision, similar to how a farmer must ensure their livestock does not stray from the grazing area. In modern urban settings, it is often used humorously by parents or friends to describe babysitting duties.
Examples
The old man goes to the meadow to herd cattle every day.
Remember to bring water when you go out to herd the cattle.
Related words
Common phrases
to keep a close watch on
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the common phrase 睇牛, which is the standard Cantonese pronunciation for this activity; 看牛 is often recognized as a more literary or written-influenced variant, whereas 睇牛 is the natural spoken form.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
