oi1 dou6哀悼
Jyutpingoi1 dou6
Yaleōi douh
Definition
To mourn, grieve, or lament over someone's death.
neutralpeopleother
How it's used
Formal in tone, this term is primarily reserved for public, official, or solemn contexts such as news reports, memorial services, or tributes. It is rarely used in casual conversation to describe personal feelings of sadness, where more direct expressions like 傷心 or 難過 are preferred.
Examples
All citizens in the city are mourning this hero.
Are you all on your way to mourn that senior?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this word to describe personal, everyday grief, as it sounds overly stiff or detached. It implies a sense of collective or ceremonial respect rather than intimate emotional pain.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
