kau1 keoi4溝渠沟渠
Jyutpingkau1 keoi4
Yalekāu kèuih
Definition
A ditch, drain, or channel used for drainage or irrigation.
colloquialplacesother
How it's used
Refers specifically to outdoor drainage channels or gutters along the street. It is rarely used in a metaphorical sense in daily speech, unlike the literary usage found in poetry. When referring to indoor plumbing like sink or shower drains, use 渠口 instead.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhRelated words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 渠, which is a more general term for pipes or conduits. Using 溝渠 for indoor pipes sounds unnatural as it specifically implies an open or street-level trench.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
