haan1 faan1慳返悭返
Jyutpinghaan1 faan1
Yalehāan fāan
Definition
To save or spare oneself an expected expense or effort.
colloquialmoneydaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the relief of avoiding an anticipated cost rather than general thriftiness. It implies that the money was already earmarked for a specific purpose before circumstances changed to make it unnecessary. Use it when you feel a sense of satisfaction about keeping funds that were otherwise destined to be spent.
Examples
He is not going on the trip, so he saves a lot of money.
Since you are not eating, I will save the money for that meal.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 慳錢, which refers to the general habit of being frugal or saving money over time. 慳返 specifically highlights a single instance where an expected expenditure is avoided.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
