jyu4茹
Jyutpingjyu4
Yaleyùh
Definition
To eat, chew, or consume; to endure or tolerate.
- literaryto eat, chew, or consume
- literaryto endure or tolerate
writtenfooddescriptions
How it's used
Functions primarily as a literary morpheme rather than a standalone verb in modern spoken Cantonese. It is almost exclusively encountered in formal compounds or set idioms like 茹素 or 茹苦含辛. Using it in everyday speech to mean eat will sound unnatural or archaic to native speakers.
Examples
He rarely eats vegetarian food.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly try to use this as a direct synonym for 食 in casual conversation. It is not interchangeable with common verbs and should be restricted to the specific literary contexts where it appears.
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.
