ziu1 tau4 zou2朝頭早朝头早
Jyutpingziu1 tau4 zou2
Yalejīu tàuh jóu
Definition
Morning; the period of time between dawn and noon.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Native speakers prefer this term over the more formal 早晨 when referring to the duration of the morning rather than just the greeting. It carries a more casual, everyday feel and is rarely used in written contexts. You will often hear it paired with specific times or activities to frame the start of the day.
Examples
What time do you usually wake up in the morning?
It rained very heavily this morning.
Related words
Common phrases
wake up in the morning
go to work in the morning
Common mistake
Avoid using this to mean 'good morning' as a greeting, which is strictly reserved for 早晨. Using 朝頭早 to greet someone sounds unnatural and confusing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
