mui4 jau4煤油
Jyutpingmui4 jau4
Yalemùih yàuh
Definition
Kerosene; a petroleum product used as fuel.
colloquialhomeother
How it's used
While 煤油 is the formal term for kerosene, it is almost never used in daily speech. Locals exclusively use the term 火水 to refer to this substance. It is a classic example of a technical term being completely superseded by a more descriptive, colloquial name in everyday life.
Measure word
gun3罐gunRelated words
Common mistake
Do not use 煤油 in casual conversation as it sounds overly academic or like a chemistry textbook. Always use 火水 to ensure you sound natural.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
