daai6 luk1 ngau5大轆藕大辘藕
Jyutpingdaai6 luk1 ngau5
Yaledaaih lūk ngáuh
Definition
A spendthrift; someone who spends money like water.
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
This term vividly compares a person's spending habits to a large, hollow lotus root, implying that money flows straight through them without being retained. It carries a slightly judgmental or teasing tone, often used by friends or family to warn someone about their lack of financial discipline. Unlike formal terms for extravagance, this is strictly colloquial and used to describe someone who lacks the ability to save.
Examples
He spends money like water all the time, he runs out of cash very quickly.
Don't be such a spendthrift, learn to save money first.
Related words
Common phrases
to spend money like a spendthrift
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with literal descriptions of food or objects. It is exclusively used to describe a person's behavior regarding money and cannot be applied to the act of spending itself.
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.
