zau2酒
Jyutpingzau2
Yalejáu
Definition
Alcoholic beverage, typically made from fermented plant ingredients.
colloquialdrink
How it's used
Refers broadly to any alcoholic beverage, but often specifically implies stronger spirits or wine when used in social contexts. It is frequently used as a suffix for specific types of alcohol, such as 啤酒 or 紅酒. When someone asks if you want to drink, they might simply say 飲酒, which acts as a general invitation to social drinking.
Measure word
bui1杯būiExamples
Do you want to have a drink tonight?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 汽水, which refers to non-alcoholic carbonated soft drinks. Beginners sometimes mistakenly use 酒 to refer to any beverage in a glass, but it strictly implies the presence of alcohol.
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.
