lai5蠡
Jyutpinglai5
Yaleláih
Definition
A calabash shell used as a ladle, a drinking cup, or a woodworm that bores into wood.
- literarycalabash shell; ladle; drinking cup
- literarywoodworm; to bore into wood
writtenother
How it's used
This character is extremely rare in modern spoken Cantonese and is almost exclusively encountered in classical texts or specialized historical contexts. It functions as both a noun for a vessel and a verb for the action of wood-boring insects. Most native speakers would not recognize this character in daily conversation and would use more common terms like 葫蘆 for the object or 蛀蟲 for the insect.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
This antique calabash cup is very exquisite.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the visually similar character 蠡 used in the idiom 臥薪嘗膽, where it refers to the name of a person or place. Using this in casual speech will cause confusion as it is not part of the active vocabulary.
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.
