lou4牢
Jyutpinglou4
Yalelòuh
Definition
Prison; jail.
neutralplaces
How it's used
While 牢 is a standard term for prison in formal or written contexts, it is rarely used alone in daily spoken Cantonese. Most people prefer the colloquial term 監 or the compound 坐監 to describe the act of being imprisoned. Using 牢 in casual conversation can sound overly dramatic or literary, as if you are quoting a news report or a period drama.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 牢 with 監. Remember that 牢 is a morpheme that usually appears in formal compounds like 監牢 or 坐牢, whereas 監 is the versatile, everyday word used in common phrases like 坐監 or 監房.
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.
