zau2 tau4走投
Jyutpingzau2 tau4
Yalejáu tàuh
Definition
To leave; to go away.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
This term is a colloquial way to describe the act of departing or leaving a place. It carries a slightly more casual and active feel than the standard 走, often implying that the person is heading off to their next destination or task. It is frequently used in spoken Cantonese to signal the end of a social interaction or a meeting.
Examples
He just left, what do you need him for?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the idiom 走投無路, which means having no way out or being at a dead end. In the context of leaving, 走投 is simply a verb for departure, whereas the idiom is a fixed expression describing a desperate situation.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
