maau5牡
Jyutpingmaau5
Yalemáauh
Definition
Male of an animal, bird, or plant; also refers to hills.
writtenanimals
How it's used
Literary and formal, this character is rarely used in daily spoken Cantonese. Most speakers prefer using 公 for male animals or birds. It is primarily encountered in classical texts or specific biological classifications.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this in casual conversation as it will sound overly formal or archaic. Use 公 instead for male animals.
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.
