ngou4鏖
Jyutpingngou4
Yalengòuh
Definition
To engage in a fierce battle; to fight violently.
writtenother
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively used in the compound 鏖戰 to describe intense, prolonged struggle or competition. It carries a literary and dramatic weight, often evoking imagery of ancient warfare or high stakes. You will rarely hear it in casual speech unless someone is being intentionally hyperbolic or describing a very intense sports match.
Examples
The two armies fought fiercely on the battlefield for a long time.
The two of them are locked in a fierce battle on the chessboard.
Related words
Common phrases
to fight a fierce battle
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 熬, which means to endure or simmer. While 鏖 implies active, intense conflict, 熬 focuses on the passive endurance of hardship or the slow process of cooking.
Grammar color guide
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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.
