bat1 mou4 zi1 dei6不毛之地
Jyutpingbat1 mou4 zi1 dei6
Yalebāt mòuh jī deih
Definition
A barren wasteland where no plants can grow.
writtenplacesdescriptions
How it's used
This is a formal idiom that sounds quite literary when used in casual conversation. It is often used figuratively to describe a place that is extremely underdeveloped, lacks resources, or is socially isolated. Because of its formal nature, it can sound slightly dramatic or hyperbolic when applied to a real-world location.
Measure word
daat3笪datExamples
That place is out in the sticks, it's basically a barren wasteland.
Why on earth do you want to move to that barren wasteland?
Related words
Common phrases
a stretch of barren land
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common everyday term, but it is an idiom. Avoid using it to describe a messy room or a dirty street, as it specifically refers to land that cannot support life or growth.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
