jyut6 kau4月球
Jyutpingjyut6 kau4
Yaleyuht kàuh
Definition
The Moon, Earth's natural satellite.
neutralnature
How it's used
While 月球 is the scientific term for the Moon, people in daily life almost exclusively use 月亮 when talking about it in a casual or poetic context. Using 月球 sounds more like you are discussing astronomy or a space mission. It is rarely used to describe the visual appearance of the moon in the night sky.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The moon is very round tonight.
Do you know how far the moon is from the Earth?
Related words
Common phrases
land on the moon
Common mistake
Learners often use 月球 in everyday conversation where 月亮 is much more natural. Think of 月球 as the celestial body in a science textbook, and 月亮 as the object you see shining above you.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
