zaa3柞
Jyutpingzaa3
Yaleja
Definition
To chop down trees; to fell timber.
colloquialnaturedaily actions
How it's used
This term is specific to the act of felling trees or thick branches using a tool like an axe or saw. It carries a sense of heavy, physical labor and is rarely used in abstract contexts. You will mostly hear it in rural or construction-related discussions rather than in casual city talk.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 斬, which is a more general term for cutting or hacking anything, including meat or objects. 柞 is strictly reserved for trees or woody plants.
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.
