tou5肚
Jyutpingtou5
Yaletóuh
Definition
Abdomen; belly; tummy.
Example
colloquialbodyhealth
How it's used
Refers specifically to the physical area of the abdomen rather than the internal organ, which is usually called 胃. When talking about being hungry, people often use the phrase 肚餓 instead of just saying they have a stomach. It is common to add a classifier like 個 before it to make the sentence sound more natural in spoken Cantonese.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 肚 with 胃. While 胃 refers specifically to the stomach organ, 肚 is a more general term for the belly area, making it the correct choice when complaining about general stomach aches or feeling full.
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.
