sou3 zyu1訴諸诉诸
Jyutpingsou3 zyu1
Yalesou jyū
Definition
To resort to, appeal to, or use a particular means to express or achieve something.
writtenother
How it's used
This is a formal, literary verb that is rarely used in casual daily conversation. It typically appears in news reports, legal contexts, or academic writing to describe a final, often desperate, course of action. When used in speech, it carries a serious tone that can sound overly dramatic or stiff.
Examples
Don't resort to violence to solve problems.
Why do you always have to resort to legal action?
Related words
Common phrases
to resort to violence
to resort to legal action
to resort to force
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this as a direct translation for 'to tell' or 'to complain', but it specifically implies a last-resort strategy rather than simple communication.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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).
