doi6怠
Jyutpingdoi6
Yaledoih
Definition
Lazy; slack; slothful.
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How it's used
怠 is primarily a bound morpheme in Cantonese and is rarely used as a standalone adjective in daily speech. It almost exclusively appears in the compound 怠慢, which describes a lack of diligence or a failure to treat guests with proper respect. Using it on its own will sound unnatural or overly formal to native speakers.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
to slack off or treat someone with neglect
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 怠 with 懶, but 懶 is the standard colloquial word for lazy. Using 怠 as a direct synonym for 懶 in casual conversation will make you sound like you are reading from a classical text.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
