juk6獄狱
Jyutpingjuk6
Yaleyuhk
Definition
Prison; jail; a facility where criminals are confined.
neutralplaces
How it's used
狱 is primarily a formal or literary morpheme in Cantonese, rarely used as a standalone noun in casual speech. When referring to the actual place of incarceration, speakers almost exclusively use 監獄 or the colloquial verb phrase 坐監. It appears most frequently in compound words related to legal proceedings or historical contexts.
Examples
He broke the law and ended up going to jail.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 獄 as a standalone word in everyday conversation, as it sounds overly dramatic or archaic. Use 監獄 for the noun or 坐監 for the act of being imprisoned.
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.
