zau1 wai4周圍周围
Jyutpingzau1 wai4
Yalejāu wàih
Definition
The surrounding area or environment; also meaning everywhere or all over the place.
- the surrounding area, environment, or vicinity
- everywhere; all over the place; on all sides
colloquialplacesdaily actions
How it's used
Beyond describing a physical location, this term is frequently used to emphasize that an action happens everywhere or in an aimless, scattered manner. When used as an adverb, it often implies a sense of disorder or lack of focus, such as in the phrase 周圍走 which suggests wandering without a clear destination.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 到處, which is more common in written Chinese. In spoken Cantonese, 周圍 is the standard choice for both physical surroundings and the sense of everywhere.
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.
