tou2討讨
Jyutpingtou2
Yaletóu
Definition
To ask for, request, or demand.
neutraldaily actionsmoney
How it's used
Used primarily in formal or literary compounds rather than as a standalone verb in daily speech. Modern Cantonese speakers prefer using 攞, 問, or 要求 when asking for something directly. It appears most frequently in set phrases or idioms where it retains its classical sense of seeking or demanding.
Examples
Why did you go to collect the debt?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 討 as a general verb for asking for things, as it sounds overly formal or archaic in most casual contexts. It is often confused with the Mandarin usage where it can be more common in everyday speech.
Grammar color guide
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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).
