lou4 dung6勞動劳动
Jyutpinglou4 dung6
Yalelòuh duhng
Definition
Labour; manual or physical work devoted to production.
neutralwork
How it's used
Refers specifically to physical or manual effort rather than general work. While it can be used in formal contexts, it sounds slightly academic or political when applied to everyday office jobs. It is most commonly encountered in phrases related to rights or national holidays.
Examples
He does manual labour all the time, it is very tiring.
Do you think this kind of labour has any value?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it as a direct synonym for general work like 做嘢, as it carries a strong connotation of physical exertion. Using it to describe a desk job will sound unnatural or overly formal.
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.
