faat3 seoi2 lau4發水樓发水楼
Jyutpingfaat3 seoi2 lau4
Yalefaat séui làuh
Definition
An inflated apartment with an advertised floor area that is much larger than its actual usable space.
colloquialmoneyplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to the practice of including non-living spaces like thick walls, bay windows, or clubhouse areas into the saleable floor area before 2011. While the government introduced stricter regulations to curb this, the term remains a common way to criticize older buildings that feel cramped despite their advertised square footage. It carries a strong negative connotation of being cheated by developers.
Measure word
cang4層chànghExamples
The efficiency rate of this inflated flat is so low, it is really not worth buying.
How do you know this unit is an inflated property?
Related words
Common phrases
low efficiency rate
to buy an inflated property
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with modern small flats that are simply built to be compact. It specifically implies a discrepancy between the advertised gross floor area and the actual usable space due to historical regulatory loopholes.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
