jau5 hoi6有害
Jyutpingjau5 hoi6
Yaleyáuh hoih
Definition
Harmful, detrimental, or pernicious; having a bad influence or effect.
neutralhealthdescriptions
How it's used
Used primarily in formal or semi-formal contexts to describe things that cause damage or negative consequences. While it appears in everyday speech, it often carries a slightly serious or cautionary tone, similar to how one might use 'detrimental' in English. It is frequently paired with the preposition 對 to specify exactly what or who is being affected.
Examples
Eating so much sugar is harmful to your body.
This kind of behavior is harmful to children, don't do it.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use it to describe something that is just 'bad' or 'nasty' in a general sense, but it specifically implies a causal relationship where something actively causes damage or harm to a subject.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
