zau1週周
Jyutpingzau1
Yalejāu
Definition
Week, cycle, or period; also to circulate, be all over, or the circumference.
- week
- cycle; period
- circumference; circle; circuit
- all over; thorough
neutraltime
How it's used
While 週 is widely understood and used in written contexts, Cantonese speakers often prefer using 禮拜 or 星期 in daily spoken conversation. Using 週 can sometimes sound slightly more formal or journalistic, similar to how one might use the character 周 in Mandarin. It is very common to see it in compound words like 週年 or 週圍.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the usage of 週 with 星期. While they are interchangeable in many contexts, 星期 is the standard choice for casual speech, whereas 週 is more common in written notices, schedules, or formal announcements.
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.
