sou3 zau2掃帚扫帚
Jyutpingsou3 zau2
Yalesou jáu
Definition
A broom; a cleaning tool used for sweeping up dust and rubbish.
neutralhomedaily actions
How it's used
While 掃帚 is the standard written term, most people in Hong Kong use the colloquial variant 掃把 in daily speech. The pronunciation of 掃帚 can sometimes feel slightly more formal or literary depending on the speaker's habit. You will frequently hear people refer to the tool simply as 掃把 regardless of the setting.
Measure word
zi1支jīExamples
Can you bring me the broom to sweep the floor?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use the measure_word 個 for tools like this, but you should use 支 for long, handled objects like brooms.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
