wo6 hoi6禍害祸害
Jyutpingwo6 hoi6
Yalewoh hoih
Definition
Disaster, menace, or calamity, particularly those caused by human action.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Focuses on the negative impact caused by human agency or specific bad habits rather than natural disasters. It often carries a moral weight, implying that the subject is actively corrupting or destroying something valuable. While it can function as a noun, it is frequently used as a verb in spoken Cantonese to describe the act of causing such harm.
Examples
This kind of trash is really harming the next generation.
Related words
Common phrases
to plague the world
to leave endless trouble behind
Common mistake
Do not use this word for natural disasters like earthquakes or typhoons, as those are usually referred to as 天災. It is specifically for damage caused by people, bad policies, or harmful behaviors.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
