lau4樓楼
Jyutpinglau4
Yalelàuh
Definition
The Chinese surname Lou or Lau.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Distinguishing this surname from the common noun meaning building or floor is entirely dependent on context. When used as a surname, it is almost always preceded by a title like 先生 or 小姐 to avoid confusion with the physical structure. It is a relatively rare surname in Hong Kong compared to names like 陳 or 李.
Examples
Mr. Lau will come over for a meeting today.
Related words
Common mistake
Beginners often confuse this with the common noun 樓 meaning building, which is a very high frequency word. Always listen for the title or the context of a person to identify it as a surname.
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).
