baan6 leng3 leng3扮靚靚扮靓靓
Jyutpingbaan6 leng3 leng3
Yalebaahn leng leng
Definition
To dress up; to beautify oneself; to make oneself look pretty.
colloquialclothingdaily actions
How it's used
Reduplication of the adjective 靚 creates a playful, endearing tone that emphasizes the effort put into looking good. It is almost exclusively used for women or children, as it implies a cute or feminine style of grooming. Using this for a man would likely sound sarcastic or teasing unless specifically referring to a child.
Examples
Where are you going all dressed up, getting up so early today?
She always likes to dress up at home.
Related words
Common phrases
go to dress up
Common mistake
Avoid using this for formal occasions or professional settings, as the reduplicated form sounds very casual and lighthearted. For a neutral or formal context, simply use 扮靚.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
