zau1 geoi1舟車舟车
Jyutpingzau1 geoi1
Yalejāu gēui
Definition
Vessels and vehicles, or a journey made by them.
- boats and carts; vessels and vehicles
- a journey; travel; the fatigue of traveling
writtentraveldescriptions
How it's used
This is a formal, literary idiom that is almost exclusively used in the set phrase 舟車勞頓 to describe the fatigue caused by long-distance travel. It carries a slightly elevated or written tone, making it sound quite sophisticated when used in casual conversation. You will rarely hear it used outside of this specific context to describe actual boats or cars.
Examples
The travel over the past few days has been exhausting, I am really tired.
Related words
Common phrases
exhausted from a long journey
Common mistake
Learners often try to use this as a literal noun for transport, but it is not a standard way to refer to vehicles in daily life. Stick to using it only in the context of travel-induced fatigue.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
