zou1 gou1糟糕
Jyutpingzou1 gou1
Yalejōu gōu
Definition
Terrible; awful; in a bad state.
colloquialdescriptionsemotion
How it's used
Expresses a sense of dismay or a situation that has gone wrong, often carrying a slightly more dramatic or literary weight than the common spoken term 弊. While it functions as an adjective, it is frequently used as an exclamation to signal that something is problematic or has spiraled out of control. It feels slightly more formal or emphatic than simply saying 唔好.
Examples
This is really terrible, I forgot to bring my wallet.
Do you think this plan is really terrible?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use this as a direct translation for bad in every context, but it is specifically reserved for situations that are disastrous or unfortunate rather than just poor quality. For describing something of low quality or a bad person, use 差 or 唔好 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
