fai3 heoi1廢墟废墟
Jyutpingfai3 heoi1
Yalefai hēui
Definition
Ruins; abandoned and dilapidated cities, towns, or building complexes.
neutralplacesdescriptions
How it's used
Refers specifically to the physical state of decay in abandoned structures or urban areas. While it can describe literal post-war or disaster zones, it is also frequently used in metaphorical contexts to describe a failed project or a broken relationship. The term carries a strong sense of desolation and emptiness.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
This place used to be a bustling city center, but now it has turned into ruins.
Do you dare to go into those ruins to explore?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a single broken object, as it specifically refers to large-scale sites like buildings or cities. For a single broken item, use 爛嘢 or 廢物 instead.
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.
