zok3 dung6作動作动
Jyutpingzok3 dung6
Yalejok duhng
Definition
To start labor contractions or show signs of giving birth.
colloquialhealthfamily
How it's used
This term is specifically reserved for the onset of labor and the physical sensations associated with the uterus preparing for birth. It carries a sense of urgency and is almost exclusively used in the context of pregnancy. You will rarely hear it used for general movement or mechanical actuation in everyday speech.
Examples
She has just started having contractions and needs to go to the hospital to give birth immediately.
Related words
Common phrases
start having contractions
Common mistake
Do not use this word to describe general movement or physical activity, as it is strictly medical and situational to childbirth. Using it in other contexts will sound confusing or highly unnatural to native speakers.
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.
