zau6就

Jyutpingzau6

Yalejauh

副詞Very common

Definition

Almost, soon, or shortly; indicating a state that is very close to completion or happening.

colloquialtimedaily actions

How it's used

Use this to indicate that an action or event is imminent or that a state is nearly reached. It often appears in the form 就快 or 就嚟 to emphasize the short duration remaining before something happens. Unlike the Mandarin usage, it is rarely used as a standalone conjunction in spoken Cantonese, where 咁樣 or 所以 are preferred for connecting clauses.

Examples

ngo5我daap6搭gan2緊ce1車，zau6就dou3到㗎gaa2喇。

I am on the bus and will be there soon.

fan2份bou3報gou3告nei5你se2寫hou2好mei6未aa4呀？zau6就faai3快gaau2搞dim6掂laa3喇。

Have you finished the report? It is almost done.

Common phrases

zau6就lai4嚟dou3到

almost arrived

zau6就faai3快gaau2搞dim6掂

almost finished

Common mistake

Avoid using it to mean exactly as in Mandarin, as it does not function as a connector for conditional clauses in the same way. Learners often mistakenly use it in place of 咁樣 when trying to say therefore or if.