tou2土
Jyutpingtou2
Yaletóu
Definition
Soil, earth, or dust; substances on the surface of the ground such as sand and mud.
neutralnature
How it's used
Refers specifically to the physical substance of earth or soil rather than the concept of land or territory. While it appears in compound words like 泥土, it is rarely used as a standalone noun in daily speech, where 泥 or 沙 are much more common choices.
Examples
The soil here is very loose.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the adjective 土, which describes something as unfashionable, rustic, or unsophisticated.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
