dou2 lam3倒冧

Jyutpingdou2 lam3

Yaledóu lam

動詞

Definition

To collapse, fall down, or crumble.

colloquialplacesother

How it's used

Used primarily for large structures like buildings or walls that fall down due to structural failure or decay. It carries a sense of suddenness and danger, often appearing in news reports about urban decay or construction accidents. While it can metaphorically describe a system or organization failing, it is most commonly reserved for physical objects.

Examples

go2嗰gaan1間gau6舊uk1屋caa1差m4唔do1多jiu3要dou2倒lam3冧laa3喇。

That old house is about to collapse.

jyu4如gwo2果nei1呢dou6度dou2倒lam3冧，ngo5我dei6哋dim2點syun3算aa4呀？

If this place collapses, what are we going to do?

Common phrases

lau4樓jyu5宇dou2倒lam3冧

building collapse

ceoi4隨si4時dou2倒lam3冧

at risk of collapsing at any time

Common mistake

Do not use this for small objects like a chair or a stack of books, as those are better described as 冧 or 跌爛. It specifically implies a significant, often catastrophic, structural failure.