hin1 lin4牽連牵连
Jyutpinghin1 lin4
Yalehīn lìhn
Definition
To implicate, involve, or embroil people or matters in the consequences of an event.
neutralother
How it's used
Focuses on the negative ripple effect of an action or event. It is often used in contexts involving legal trouble, financial loss, or social scandal where one person's mistake forces others to suffer the consequences. Unlike simple involvement, it carries a strong sense of being dragged into a mess against one's will.
Examples
Don't stir up so much trouble, I don't want to be implicated.
Will the failure of this business also drag your company into it?
Related words
Common phrases
innocently dragged into it
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the more neutral word 影響, which simply means to influence or affect. Use 牽連 only when the outcome is negative and involves being caught up in someone else's trouble.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
