zaau2 gung1找工
Jyutpingzaau2 gung1
Yalejáau gūng
Definition
To look for a job.
colloquialwork
How it's used
The character 搵 is the standard way to write the verb for looking for something in Cantonese, whereas 找 is more commonly associated with giving change or finding a person. While 找工 is sometimes seen in written advertisements, native speakers almost exclusively use 搵工 in spoken communication. It is a very common topic of conversation among friends and family when someone is between jobs.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 找 instead of 搵 because they are influenced by Mandarin. Using 找工 in casual speech can sound slightly formal or unnatural to a local ear.
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.
