ou3奧奥
Jyutpingou3
Yaleou
Definition
Abstruse, obscure, and difficult to understand.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
Rarely used as a standalone adjective in modern spoken Cantonese. It almost exclusively appears as a bound morpheme in compound words like 奧妙 or 奧秘 to describe things that are deep, subtle, or beyond simple explanation. It carries a slightly formal or literary tone, so it is more common in written descriptions or philosophical discussions than in casual street talk.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 傲, which sounds similar but refers to arrogance or pride. Learners often mix them up because they share a similar phonetic component.
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.
