jau6宥

Jyutpingjau6

Yaleyauh

Rare

Definition

To forgive, excuse, or pardon.

writtenemotionother

How it's used

宥 is almost exclusively encountered in formal, literary, or written contexts, often appearing in idioms like 宥恕 or 寬宥. It carries a sense of magnanimous forgiveness or granting clemency that is far too elevated for everyday speech. In casual conversation, Cantonese speakers would use 原諒 or 唔好介意 instead.

Examples

hei1希mong6望nei5你nang4能gau3夠jau6宥syu3恕ngo5我zi1之cin4前ge3嘅gwo3過co3錯。

I hope you can forgive my previous mistakes.

Common phrases

jau6宥syu3恕

to forgive

fun1寬jau6宥

to show leniency

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use this in daily speech because it looks similar to 有, but it is not a common verb in spoken Cantonese. Using it in a casual setting will sound unnatural or overly dramatic.