ngaau4爻
Jyutpingngaau4
Yalengàauh
Definition
Yao, the basic line component of the trigrams and hexagrams in the I Ching.
neutralother
How it's used
This term is strictly limited to the context of the I Ching and divination. It is not used in everyday speech to describe lines or strokes in general, for which characters like 劃 or 筆畫 are used instead. You will mostly encounter it in academic discussions, fortune telling, or philosophical texts.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He really likes studying the changes of the lines.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the character 叉 or 爻 used in other contexts, but the specific pronunciation and meaning here are tied exclusively to the I Ching. Do not use it to refer to a line drawn on a piece of paper.
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.
