nai4 gaau1泥膠
Jyutpingnai4 gaau1
Yalenàih gāau
Definition
Modelling clay or playdough.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Refers specifically to the soft, malleable material used for crafts and sensory play, often associated with preschool education. While the literal components suggest mud and plastic, it is strictly a toy and never used to describe construction materials or pottery clay. Parents often use it as a tool to help children develop fine motor skills through squeezing and shaping.
Measure word
hap6盒haphExamples
Kids love making animals when they play with modelling clay.
How many boxes of modelling clay did you buy to take home?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 泥土, which refers to actual soil or dirt found in the ground. Using 泥膠 to describe garden soil would be confusing as it implies a synthetic, toy-like texture.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
