wat6搰
Jyutpingwat6
Yalewaht
Definition
To dig, or to exert effort.
- to dig; to excavation
- to exert; to strive
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used for the physical action of digging or rummaging through something with one's hands or a tool. It carries a sense of messy or laborious effort, often implying that the person is searching for something buried or hidden. It is rarely used in formal writing and is strictly a spoken Cantonese term.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 掘, which is the more standard and common word for digging a hole or excavation. While 搰 is perfectly acceptable in casual speech, 掘 is safer and more widely understood in all contexts.
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.
