sau3宿
Jyutpingsau3
Yalesau
Definition
To stay overnight; to lodge for the night.
neutralplacesdaily actions
How it's used
This character is primarily a bound morpheme in Cantonese and rarely functions as a standalone verb in casual speech. It is most frequently encountered in compound nouns related to accommodation or institutional living. When describing the act of staying overnight, speakers almost always prefer the phrasal verb 過夜 instead.
Examples
Are you staying overnight at school tonight?
When they go traveling, they usually stay in youth hostels.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this as a direct verb for sleeping in a bed, but it specifically carries the nuance of lodging or staying at a place away from home. Using it to mean simply going to sleep will sound unnatural or archaic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
