DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
冇
Mandarin · pinyin mǎo
Meanings
- to not have (Cantonese) (Mandarin equivalent: 沒有 méi yǒu)
Characters in this entry
- 冇
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Mandarin tones
3 · mao3
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
13same-tone records1source reference
Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 10 senses · 2 Cantonese readings
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
mo5 · mou5
Cantonese word readings for 冇. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- (dialectal Mandarin, Cantonese, dialectal Gan, Hakka, dialectal Wu, Xiang) to not have; to not exist
- (dialectal Mandarin, Cantonese, Xiang) have not; did not (do something) (indicating non-completion of a verb)
- (dialectal Cantonese, Nanning Pinghua) not (negator)
- (Cantonese) nothing much; no big deal
character · Etymology 2
- (Min, Hakka) empty; hollow; spongy; not sturdy
- (Min, Hakka) unreliable; undependable; casual
- (Southern Min) extravagant; generous
- (Hakka) insufficient; lacking
character · Etymology 3
- (Cantonese) contraction of 唔好 (m⁴ hou², “don't”)
character · Etymology 4
- (Cantonese, dialectal, uncommon or dated) Used at the end of questions to ask if one has done something yet.
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack