ziu2沼
Jyutpingziu2
Yalejíu
Definition
Wetland, marsh, or swamp.
neutralnature
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively used as a bound morpheme in compound words rather than as a standalone noun in daily speech. It carries a sense of being trapped or sinking, which is why it appears in terms describing difficult or inescapable situations. You will rarely hear it outside of formal descriptions of geography or metaphorical expressions.
Examples
This place used to be a wetland.
His car got stuck in the mire.
Related words
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.
