baai6 zan6敗陣败阵
Jyutpingbaai6 zan6
Yalebaaih jahn
Definition
To lose a battle, match, or competition.
neutralsportsother
How it's used
Carries a slightly formal or dramatic tone compared to the everyday word 輸. It is frequently used in sports reporting or political commentary to describe a significant loss or a setback in a competitive environment. Using it in casual conversation about minor things, like losing a board game, can sound overly serious or ironic.
Examples
It is such a pity that they lost the match today.
Do you think they will lose in the final?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe personal failure in life or work tasks, as it specifically implies a competitive struggle or a confrontation between two sides.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
