jim4 loeng4炎涼炎凉
Definition
Fickle; the heat of passion or cold of indifference; the changing attitudes of people depending on one's fortune.
How it's used
While standard dictionaries often define this as a literary term for the fickleness of human relationships, in spoken Cantonese it is frequently used as a descriptive adjective for biting, piercing cold weather. It carries a sense of intensity that goes beyond simple coldness, often implying a chill that penetrates through clothing. It is most commonly heard when describing a sudden drop in temperature or a particularly harsh winter night.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literary idiom 人情冷暖, which refers to the fickleness of people. Using this word to describe a person's attitude will sound confusing or nonsensical to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
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.
