sau1 seoi2餿水馊水
Jyutpingsau1 seoi2
Yalesāu séui
Definition
Dirty, smelly water; swill or refuse water.
colloquialfoodother
How it's used
Refers specifically to liquid food waste or kitchen slop, often associated with pig feed in older or rural contexts. It carries a strong negative connotation of being filthy, rancid, or unfit for human consumption. It is rarely used to describe general sewage or industrial wastewater, which would be referred to as 污水.
Measure word
tung2桶túngExamples
This swill smells really bad, hurry up and pour it away.
Related words
Common phrases
to pour out swill
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe general dirty water or sewage, as it specifically implies organic food waste that has gone bad. Using it for regular dirty water sounds like you are calling it rotten food.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
