maau1 sat1貓蝨猫虱
Jyutpingmaau1 sat1
Yalemāau sāt
Definition
Cat flea.
colloquialanimalshealth
How it's used
Refers specifically to the parasite found on cats, but it is often used colloquially to describe any small, irritating pest or even a person who is annoying or clingy. When discussing pets, it is almost always paired with verbs like 抓癢 or 處理 to describe the infestation process.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
The cat is scratching all the time, does it have cat fleas?
Having cat fleas at home is really troublesome, need to deal with it quickly.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 蝨, which is a general term for lice or bedbugs. Using 貓蝨 to describe a human infestation is a specific, somewhat derogatory metaphor rather than a literal biological description.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
