zaau1嘲

Jyutpingzaau1

Yalejāau

語素Rare

Definition

To ridicule, mock, or sneer.

neutralemotionpeople

How it's used

Functions primarily as a bound morpheme in Cantonese, meaning it rarely stands alone as a verb in daily speech. It is almost always paired with other characters to form compound words like 嘲笑 or 嘲諷. When you want to express the act of making fun of someone in a casual, everyday context, speakers prefer using the verb 取笑 instead.

Examples

nei5你m4唔hou2好seng4成jat6日zaau1嘲siu3笑jan4人dei6哋laa1啦。

Don't always make fun of other people.

keoi5佢zou6做co3錯je5嘢，nei5你zou6做me1咩jiu3要zaau1嘲fung3諷keoi5佢aa4呀？

He made a mistake, why do you have to mock him?

Common phrases

zaau1嘲siu3笑

to ridicule

zaau1嘲fung3諷

to mock or sneer

Common mistake

Learners often try to use 嘲 as a standalone verb, but it sounds unnatural or incomplete to native speakers. Always use it as part of a two-character compound.