fai1 zi1 bat1 heoi3揮之不去挥之不去
Definition
Impossible to brush away or get rid of; lingering, especially of feelings, memories, or scents.
How it's used
Literary in origin, this idiom is frequently used in modern Cantonese to describe persistent, often intrusive, thoughts or sensory experiences. It functions as a descriptive predicate that highlights an inability to shake off something abstract or intangible. While it sounds slightly more formal than everyday slang, it is perfectly natural in both spoken and written contexts when emphasizing the stubborn nature of a memory or smell.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a physical action, but it is rarely used for tangible objects that can be literally brushed away with a hand. Stick to using it for abstract concepts like memories, feelings, or lingering scents.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
