wo1 kau5窠臼

Jyutpingwo1 kau5

Yalewō káuh

Definition

Set pattern, old rut, or cliché, especially in writing or artistic creation.

writtendescriptionsother

How it's used

Refers specifically to stale, formulaic, or conventional ways of thinking or creating that lack originality. It is almost exclusively used in negative contexts, typically following verbs like 落入 or 跳出 to describe the act of entering or escaping these restrictive patterns.

Examples

le1呢pin1篇man4文se2寫dak1得hou2好jau5有san1新ji3意，jyun4完cyun4全mou5冇lok6落jap6入wo1窠kau5臼。

This article is very creative and doesn't fall into a set pattern at all.

nei5你ho2可m4唔ho2可ji5以nam2諗di1啲san1新je5嘢，m4唔hou2好seng4成jat6日dou1都hai6係go2嗰tou3套wo1窠kau5臼？

Can you think of something new instead of always sticking to the same old routine?

Related words

synonymzuk6 tou3俗套jukh tou

Common phrases

lok6落jap6入wo1窠kau5臼

fall into a rut

tiu3跳ceot1出wo1窠kau5臼

break the mold

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a common everyday word, but it is actually quite formal and literary in tone. Using it in casual conversation about mundane tasks like cooking or cleaning sounds unnatural and overly pretentious.