zau1洲
Jyutpingzau1
Yalejāu
Definition
Continent, or an island or islet in a river.
- continent
- literaryislet, river island, or sandbar
neutralnatureplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to the seven major continental landmasses in a geographical context. While it shares the same character with the suffix for islands like 長洲, the pronunciation and meaning are distinct in those cases. It is almost exclusively used in formal or educational discussions about geography.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Which continent do you most want to travel to?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 島, which refers to a smaller island surrounded by water. Learners sometimes mistakenly use 洲 for any landmass, but it is reserved for the seven major continents.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
