zou6皂
Jyutpingzou6
Yalejouh
Definition
Black color, or soap.
- literaryblack; dark
- literarysoap
writtencoloursother
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively encountered in the idiom 不分青紅皂白, where it serves as a literary synonym for black. Outside of this specific idiom, it is rarely used in modern speech to describe the colour black, as 黑 is the standard term. It also appears in the word 梘, which refers to soap, reflecting the historical use of alkaline substances for cleaning.
Examples
They are simply unable to distinguish right from wrong.
Related words
Common phrases
to be indiscriminate; to not distinguish right from wrong
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 黑. While it technically means black, using it as a standalone adjective in daily conversation will sound archaic or confusing to native speakers.
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.
