fan1 fan1 juk6 seoi6昏昏欲睡
Jyutpingfan1 fan1 juk6 seoi6
Yalefān fān yuhk seuih
Definition
Drowsy, sleepy, or groggy, to the point of losing focus.
neutralhealthdescriptions
How it's used
This is a formal idiom that sounds slightly out of place in very casual, rapid-fire Cantonese conversation. While perfectly understandable, native speakers often prefer simpler phrases like 眼瞓 or 恰眼瞓 to describe the same state. It is most commonly encountered in written reports, news, or slightly more descriptive speech.
Examples
After listening to this lecture, I really felt drowsy.
Are you feeling drowsy? Why not have a cup of coffee?
Related words
Common phrases
making one feel drowsy
to feel drowsy
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a verb phrase, but it functions as an adjective. Avoid using it as a direct action like 佢昏昏欲睡咗， as it describes a state of being rather than a change of state.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
