tou4徒
Jyutpingtou4
Yaletòuh
Definition
To do something in vain or barehanded, or a follower, disciple, or person of a certain type.
- disciple; follower; believer
- a person of a certain type or with a certain characteristic
- in vain; to no avail; for nothing
- only; merely
- bare; empty; barehanded
- literaryimprisonment; penal servitude
neutralpeopledescriptions
How it's used
While 徒 can mean disciple in a formal or religious context, it is frequently used in compounds to denote someone who follows a specific path or ideology. It also carries the sense of being empty or futile, such as in 徒勞 which describes wasted effort. In everyday speech, it is more common to find it as part of a noun rather than as a standalone verb.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 徒 with 途, which refers to a road or path. Remember that 徒 relates to people or emptiness, whereas 途 relates to physical journeys or career paths.
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.
