co1 to4蹉跎
Jyutpingco1 to4
Yalechō tòh
Definition
To waste time, or to fall down and meet with disappointment.
- to waste time; to idle away time
- literaryto slip and fall; to meet with setbacks or disappointment
writtentimedaily actions
How it's used
Literary in origin, this term is almost exclusively used in the set phrase 蹉跎歲月 to describe the regret of letting time slip away without achieving anything. While it can technically mean to stumble or fall, that usage is archaic and rarely encountered in modern spoken Cantonese. Using it outside of formal or reflective contexts can sound overly dramatic or poetic.
Examples
Stop wasting your time, go find a job quickly.
He spends all his time idling at home, he is really pathetic.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this word to describe physical tripping or falling, as it will sound confusing or pretentious to native speakers. Stick to the metaphorical meaning of wasting time.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
