jau2朽
Jyutpingjau2
Yaleyáu
Definition
To decay, rot, degenerate, or corrode.
writtendescriptions
How it's used
This character is primarily a literary morpheme rather than a word used in casual speech. It appears most frequently in compound words that describe moral decay or physical decomposition. You will rarely hear it used as a standalone verb in daily life, as people prefer more specific colloquial terms like 爛 or 腐爛.
Examples
This wood has already rotted.
His way of thinking is truly degenerate.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 朽木, which is often used metaphorically to describe a person who is beyond help or lacks ambition. Using it in everyday conversation to describe simple food spoilage will sound overly dramatic or archaic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
