kei4 kau4祈求
Jyutpingkei4 kau4
Yalekèih kàuh
Definition
To pray for, or to earnestly hope and beg for something.
neutralemotionother
How it's used
This word carries a formal or solemn tone that is rarely used in casual, everyday conversation. It implies a deep, sincere desire or a spiritual appeal, making it more appropriate for serious contexts like religious settings or expressing profound wishes. For casual hopes, people typically use the verb 希望 instead.
Examples
I pray for my family's good health every day.
Are you praying that you will pass the exam?
Related words
Common phrases
to pray for peace and safety
to pray to the heavens
Common mistake
Learners often use this word to express simple wishes, but it sounds overly dramatic or religious in daily life. Using it to say you hope for a bus to arrive on time would sound quite unnatural to a native speaker.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
