湖
wu⁴
In Cantonese, the English word 'lake' is translated as 湖 (wu⁴). Wiktionary also lists 湖泊 (wu⁴ bok⁶).
Meaning: body of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 湖 | wu⁴ |
| 湖泊 | wu⁴ bok⁶ |
Both 湖 and 湖泊 refer to a body of water, specifically a lake.
Which one should you use?
湖 is the common word for lake, whereas 湖泊 is a more formal or technical term used in geographical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken Cantonese, the classifier 個 (go3) is typically used before 湖 to mean 'the lake' or 'a lake'. Adding 度 (dou6) after 湖 creates a locative phrase meaning 'at the lake' or 'in the lake'.
How do you pronounce it?
wu⁴
Did you know?
- In Hong Kong, the word 湖 is frequently used in the names of luxury residential estates to imply a high-class environment, even if the 'lake' is a small decorative water feature.
- While 湖 describes a natural lake, Cantonese speakers often use the word 塘 (tong4) for smaller ponds or man-made lakes, and using 湖 for a small pond might sound overly poetic or unnatural.
- When talking about the surface of a 湖, Cantonese uses the specific word 面 (min6) to denote the 'face' of the water, reflecting a conceptual view of water as having a skin.
Examples in context
- 佢連衫都冇除就跳咗入個湖度。He plunged into the lake fully clothed.This sentence illustrates someone jumping into the lake using 湖.Tatoeba #2833948 by nickyeow, translation #2833944 by nickyeow
- 佢帶我哋沿住個湖行咗一個圈。He conducted us on a tour around the lake.This sentence describes walking around the lake using 湖.Tatoeba #5777019 by nickyeow, translation #296177 by CK
- 個殺人凶手將條屍抌咗落個湖到。The murderer dumped the body in the lake.This sentence describes a body being dumped in the lake using 湖.Tatoeba #5734179 by nickyeow, translation #5695915 by shea
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a trip to a scenic park.
- 子健 Tsz Kin呢個湖個風景真係好靚。ni1 go3 wu4 go3 fung1 ging1 zan1 hai6 hou2 leng3.The scenery of this lake is really beautiful.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan係呀，我想喺個湖邊散步。hai6 aa3, ngo5 soeng2 hai2 go3 wu4 bin1 saan3 bou6.Yes, I want to take a walk by the lake.
- 子健 Tsz Kin我哋一齊去湖邊影相啦。ngo5 dei6 jat1 cai4 heoi3 wu4 bin1 jing2 soeng2 laa1.Let's go to the lake side and take photos together.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan好啊，快啲行去個湖度睇下。hou2 aa3, faai3 di1 hang4 heoi3 go3 wu4 dou3 tai2 haa5.Okay, let's walk to the lake and have a look.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lake” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
