sau1螋
Jyutpingsau1
Yalesāu
Definition
Earwig
colloquialanimals
How it's used
People in Hong Kong almost exclusively refer to this insect as 蠼螋 rather than just 螋. Using the single character on its own can sound overly literary or confusing in casual conversation. It is widely considered a household pest that appears in damp areas.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
That earwig in the corner is so scary.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 蜈蚣, which is a centipede. While both are often found in dark or humid places, they look quite different and are distinct creatures in Cantonese vocabulary.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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).
