zyun1 tau4磚頭砖头
Jyutpingzyun1 tau4
Yalejyūn tàuh
Definition
Brick, or figuratively, real estate property.
- brick; a hard, rectangular building block made of clay
- figurativereal estate; property
colloquialmoneyplaces
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of a construction brick, this term is widely used as a colloquial metaphor for real estate or property. It reflects a deep-seated cultural belief that owning physical land or a building is the most secure form of investment. When people talk about buying 磚頭, they are almost always discussing property investment rather than construction materials.
Measure word
gau6嚿gauhExamples
It is better to invest in property than to keep money in the bank.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term for brick, which is simply 磚. In Cantonese, the suffix 頭 is almost always attached to make it a natural-sounding noun.
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.
