mau4牟
Jyutpingmau4
Yalemàuh
Definition
To seek, gain, or obtain profit.
writtenmoney
How it's used
Appears almost exclusively in formal or written contexts, particularly within compound words related to financial gain or exploitation. It is rarely used as a standalone verb in spoken Cantonese, where speakers would prefer words like 賺 or 攞. Its usage is heavily restricted to specific, often negative, formal collocations.
Examples
They are just doing business to make a profit.
Is this company trying to profiteer?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common verb, but it is a formal morpheme that sounds unnatural if used in casual conversation. Avoid using it to describe everyday earning of money, as it carries a connotation of greed or illicit gain.
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.
