aai1 nin4 gan6 maan5挨年近晚

Jyutpingaai1 nin4 gan6 maan5

Yaleāai nìhn gahn máahn

Definition

Close to the end of the year, especially the Lunar New Year.

colloquialtimefestival

How it's used

This idiom specifically refers to the final stretch of the lunar year, typically the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year. It carries a sense of urgency or busyness, as people scramble to finish work, settle debts, or prepare for the upcoming festivities. It is almost exclusively used to describe the atmosphere or the pressure felt during this specific seasonal transition.

Examples

aai1挨nin4年gan6近maan5晚，daai6大gaa1家dou1都mong4忙zyu6住baan6辦nin4年fo3貨。

It is close to the end of the year, and everyone is busy shopping for New Year goods.

nei5你aai1挨nin4年gan6近maan5晚sin1先lai4嚟beng6病，zan1真hai6係m4唔hou2好coi2彩。

You got sick right at the end of the year, that is really unlucky.

Common phrases

aai1挨nin4年gan6近maan5晚mong4忙

busy during the end of the year

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a general term for the end of any period, but it is culturally bound to the Lunar New Year cycle. Using it to describe the end of a calendar year or a project deadline would sound unnatural to native speakers.