gyun1 lung1 gyun1 laa3捐窿捐罅
Jyutpinggyun1 lung1 gyun1 laa3
Yalegyūn lūng gyūn la
Definition
To search high and low, looking everywhere for something.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Evokes the image of a small animal or a persistent person squeezing into every tight space to find something hidden. It is used exclusively for the act of searching, rather than for physical movement or exploration for other purposes. It carries a sense of frustration or extreme effort, implying that the item was well-hidden or difficult to locate.
Examples
I searched high and low before I found my ID card again.
Related words
Common phrases
to search high and low for
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe literal physical movement through small spaces, such as crawling through a tunnel, as it is strictly idiomatic for searching.
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.
