zok3 au2作嘔作呕
Jyutpingzok3 au2
Yalejok áu
Definition
To retch or feel like vomiting; to feel nauseous.
colloquialbodyhealth
How it's used
Focuses on the physical sensation of nausea or the involuntary reflex of retching. It is frequently used to describe a strong, visceral reaction to something repulsive, whether it is a foul smell, a disgusting sight, or even a person's behavior that one finds morally sickening.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 嘔, which specifically means the act of vomiting itself. 作嘔 refers to the pre-vomiting stage or the feeling of disgust, whereas 嘔 is the action of throwing up.
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.
