haan4 jin4 haan4 jyu5閒言閒語闲言闲语
Jyutpinghaan4 jin4 haan4 jyu5
Yalehàahn yìhn hàahn yúh
Definition
Gossip, rumors, or idle talk; unfounded remarks, usually with negative connotations.
colloquialpeoplecommunication
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the act of spreading groundless or malicious rumors, often implying that the speaker finds such talk trivial or annoying. It is frequently used to dismiss or warn others against paying attention to hearsay. Unlike more neutral terms for talk, this carries a strong negative connotation of being unproductive and potentially harmful.
Examples
Don't pay attention to the gossip, just do your own thing.
They are always gossiping behind people's backs, it's really annoying.
Related words
Common phrases
to gossip
to pay attention to gossip
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with general conversation or discussion. It is not used for casual chatting or friendly banter, but specifically for negative, speculative, or intrusive talk about others.
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.
