cin4纏缠
Jyutpingcin4
Yalechìhn
Definition
To twine, wrap around, or tangle; to pester or annoy.
- to twine, wrap around, or tangle with rope or thread
- to pester, bother, or annoy someone
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Beyond the literal sense of physical entanglement, this verb is frequently used to describe someone being clingy or persistent in a way that causes annoyance. It implies a sense of being stuck to someone or something against one's will. When used for physical objects, it often appears with the aspect marker 埋 or 住 to emphasize the state of being knotted or bunched together.
Examples
The wires are all tangled up, it is hard to untangle them.
He keeps pestering me with endless questions, so annoying.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it might be used more broadly for general interaction. In Cantonese, using it to describe people almost always carries a negative connotation of being a nuisance or a burden.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
