zau3咒
Jyutpingzau3
Yalejau
Definition
To curse, wish ill, or invoke bad luck upon someone.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Focuses on the act of wishing misfortune upon someone through speech. It carries a strong sense of moral disapproval, implying that the speaker is being malicious or spiteful. While it can be used literally in contexts involving superstition, it is frequently used hyperbolically in daily life to describe someone being mean-spirited or wishing for another person to suffer a minor setback.
Examples
Stop cursing people all the time, it is very unlucky.
He cursed me to fail the exam, he is really malicious.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 鬧, which means to scold or yell at someone. 咒 implies a desire for bad luck or harm to befall the person, whereas 鬧 is a direct verbal confrontation or expression of anger.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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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.
