kan4 lou4勤勞勤劳
Jyutpingkan4 lou4
Yalekàhn lòuh
Definition
Diligent, hardworking, and industrious.
neutralpeoplework
How it's used
While this term is understood in Cantonese, it carries a slightly formal or literary tone compared to the more common spoken term 勤力. Using 勤力 feels more natural when praising someone's work ethic in daily conversation. 勤勞 is often reserved for written contexts, formal speeches, or when describing a collective group's virtues.
Examples
He is usually very hardworking and always takes the initiative to help.
You are so hardworking, you will definitely succeed.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 勤勞 in casual settings where 勤力 is the standard choice. Using 勤勞 to describe a friend or colleague can sound a bit stiff or like you are reading from a textbook.
Grammar color guide
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Adjective
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
