hou4毫
Jyutpinghou4
Yalehòuh
Definition
Fine, pointed hair or down.
neutralanimalsdescriptions
How it's used
Primarily functions as a bound morpheme in modern Cantonese, appearing mostly in idioms or formal descriptions of fine, hair-like structures. It specifically refers to the delicate, downy hair found on animals or the tip of a calligraphy brush. Outside of fixed expressions, it is rarely used as a standalone noun in casual speech.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 毫子, which is the common colloquial term for a ten-cent coin. Using 毫 on its own to refer to money will cause confusion as it sounds like you are talking about animal fur.
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.
