jat1 lau6 jin1一溜煙一溜烟
Jyutpingjat1 lau6 jin1
Yaleyāt lauh yīn
Definition
Extremely fast, like the wind; usually describing the speed of a moving person or animal.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
This expression vividly describes a sudden, rapid departure, often implying the subject has disappeared from sight almost instantly. It is most commonly paired with verbs of motion like 跑, 走, or 閃. The imagery evokes a trail of smoke or a gust of wind, highlighting the speed and stealth of the movement.
Examples
He saw the police and vanished in a flash.
Related words
Common phrases
left in a flash
ran away like the wind
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this as a general adjective for fast, but it is strictly an adverbial phrase used to describe the manner of an action. It cannot be used to describe a fast car or a fast runner in a static sense.
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.
