zeon1 sau2遵守
Jyutpingzeon1 sau2
Yalejēun sáu
Definition
To obey, abide by, or comply with rules, regulations, or standards.
neutralworkother
How it's used
Carries a formal tone often associated with legal, professional, or institutional settings. While perfectly understandable in speech, it is much more common in written notices, signs, or official instructions than in casual conversation between friends. For everyday situations like following a house rule or a simple request, people prefer using 聽話 or 跟住做.
Examples
Everyone must follow the rules here.
Do you know how to follow traffic rules?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this for simple personal requests or advice, as it sounds overly authoritative and stiff. Using it to tell a friend to follow your advice can make you sound like a strict teacher or a police officer.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
