zau3揍
Jyutpingzau3
Yalejau
Definition
To beat someone up
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
While this term is understood in Hong Kong, it is significantly less common than 打. It carries a more aggressive or violent connotation compared to the general act of hitting. You will hear it more frequently in older movies or dramatic contexts rather than in casual daily conversation.
Examples
He is always beating people up in the street, he is so naughty.
If you keep talking like that, watch out, I'll beat you up!
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it is a very common word for hitting. In Cantonese, sticking to 打 is almost always safer and more natural for everyday speech.
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.
