fai3 waa2廢話废话
Jyutpingfai3 waa2
Yalefai wá
Definition
Nonsense, rubbish, or superfluous words that are meaningless or redundant.
colloquialcommunicationpeople
How it's used
Often used to dismiss someone who is rambling or speaking without substance. It carries a blunt and slightly aggressive tone, so it is best reserved for close friends or when you are genuinely frustrated by someone wasting your time. It is a very common way to shut down a conversation that is going nowhere.
Measure word
geoi3句geuiExamples
He is always talking nonsense, it is really annoying.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 講笑, which means to joke or tease. While 講笑 is lighthearted and meant to be funny, 廢話 is almost always negative and implies that the speaker is being useless or annoying.
Grammar color guide
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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.
