maau1貓猫
Jyutpingmaau1
Yalemāau
![Illustration of 貓, cat M: 只zhī [只]](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/yumcha-7a2e3.firebasestorage.app/o/dictionary-imagery%2F%E8%B2%93__maau1.png?alt=media&token=cd0675cf-bc95-4c38-abcd-b3078f0e9da1)
Definition
Cat; a small carnivorous mammal commonly kept as a pet.
Example
colloquialanimals
How it's used
Beyond the literal animal, the term is frequently used in slang to describe a person who is quiet, mysterious, or sometimes sneaky. It also appears in the common expression 貓哭老鼠, which refers to someone feigning sympathy or shedding crocodile tears.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use the Mandarin classifier 條 for animals, but in Cantonese, you must use 隻 for almost all small animals, including cats.
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.
