haan4 zi3閒置闲置

Jyutpinghaan4 zi3

Yalehàahn ji

形容詞Rare

Definition

Idle, unused, or left aside; refers to people or things not being utilized.

neutraldaily actionsother

How it's used

While often used in formal contexts like urban planning or economics, it is perfectly natural to use this to describe personal items that are gathering dust. It carries a slightly more objective tone than just saying something is unused, implying that the item has potential value but is currently lacking a purpose. You will frequently hear it applied to property, equipment, or even human resources.

Examples

le1呢gaan3間fong2房haan4閒zi3置zo2咗hou2好noi6耐laa3喇。

This room has been left idle for a long time.

nei5你jau5有mou5冇haan4閒zi3置ge3嘅gau6舊din6電waa2話aa4呀？

Do you have any old phones that are just sitting around?

Related words

Common phrases

haan4閒zi3置tou2土dei6地

idle land

haan4閒zi3置zi1資jyun4源

idle resources

Common mistake

Avoid using this to describe a person who is simply lazy or resting, as it specifically refers to resources or objects that are not being put to work. For a person who is currently unemployed or between jobs, use 冇嘢做 instead.