kau3 ze6叩謝叩谢
Jyutpingkau3 ze6
Yalekau jeh
Definition
To kowtow in order to express one's gratitude.
colloquialdaily actionsother
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of extreme reverence or theatrical exaggeration. It is rarely used in modern daily life for genuine gratitude, as it implies a level of submission or formality that feels archaic or overly performative. When used today, it is often employed sarcastically to mock someone who is being overly dramatic about a small favor.
Examples
He knelt there to kowtow and thank the gods, hoping for good health.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simple thankfulness like 多謝 or 唔該. Using this in a normal social setting will sound either extremely bizarre or heavily sarcastic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
