daai6 jin1大煙大烟
Jyutpingdaai6 jin1
Yaledaaih yīn
Definition
Opium; a colloquial term for the narcotic drug.
colloquialhealthother
How it's used
Refers specifically to opium in a historical or colloquial context, often appearing in period dramas or stories about old Hong Kong. It carries a strong negative connotation due to the devastating social impact of the drug. While it literally translates to big smoke, it is never used to describe modern cigarettes or vaping.
Examples
People who smoked opium in the past really damaged their health.
His family used to be in the opium business.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this term to describe modern smoking habits or tobacco, as it is strictly reserved for historical references to opium.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
