faat3 saan2發散发散
Jyutpingfaat3 saan2
Yalefaat sáan
Definition
To coordinate and send people out in different directions to search for someone or something.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the logistical effort of mobilizing a group to cover multiple locations simultaneously. It implies a sense of urgency or desperation, often used in contexts where someone or something has gone missing and needs to be located quickly. The term carries a strong connotation of command and coordination, typically used by someone in charge of a search party.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term for 'diverge' or 'diffuse', as the Cantonese usage is strictly about the physical deployment of people for a search mission. It is not used for abstract concepts like scattering ideas or light.
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.
