heng1 piu1 piu1輕飄飄轻飘飘
Jyutpingheng1 piu1 piu1
Yalehēng pīu pīu
Definition
Extremely lightweight, to the point of seemingly being able to float.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Focuses on the sensation of weightlessness rather than just the literal mass of an object. It is frequently used to describe things that feel surprisingly light, such as a box you expected to be heavy or a person feeling lightheaded. The reduplication of the character emphasizes the airy, almost ethereal quality of the lightness.
Examples
This paper box is super light, there probably isn't anything inside.
He picked up that bag of cotton and felt it was light as a feather.
Related words
Common phrases
in a light and airy manner
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe people who are physically thin, as it specifically refers to the sensation of weight or buoyancy rather than body type.
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.
