zeoi2咀
Jyutpingzeoi2
Yalejéui
Definition
To curse or swear; also variant of 詛 (zo2).
colloquialpeoplecommunication
How it's used
This character is primarily used as a phonetic loan for the word meaning to curse or cast a spell. While it appears in the formal compound 咀咒, it is often replaced by the more standard character 詛 in written contexts. In casual speech, people might use it to describe someone who is constantly speaking ill of others or wishing them bad luck.
Examples
He really likes to curse those around him.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the character 嘴, which is the standard word for mouth. Learners often mistakenly use 咀 when referring to the body part, but 咀 is strictly reserved for the sense of cursing or specific technical compounds like 咀嚼.
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.
