lak6泐
Jyutpinglak6
Yalelahk
Definition
To write or carve; also refers to rocks splitting along their natural veins, or to coagulate.
- literaryto write; to carve; to engrave
- (of rocks) to split along natural veins or crack marks
- to coagulate; to congeal
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How it's used
Primarily describes the appearance of cracks or fissures on hard surfaces like ceramic, glass, or stone. It implies a structural failure or a hairline fracture rather than a clean break. While it can technically mean to write or carve in literary contexts, it is almost exclusively used in spoken Cantonese to refer to physical cracks.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 裂, which is a more general term for breaking or splitting. 泐 specifically carries the nuance of a surface crack or a hairline fracture that might not yet have caused the object to fall apart completely.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
