jyu4濡

Jyutpingjyu4

Yaleyùh

Rare

Definition

To immerse, moisten, or be damp; also to delay or remain somewhere.

to moisten; to wet; to immerse
damp; wet
to delay; dilatory
to linger; to remain somewhere

colloquialpeopledescriptions

How it's used

This term is primarily used in spoken Cantonese to describe someone who is sluggish, slow to act, or prone to wasting time by lingering in one place. It carries a negative connotation of inefficiency or lack of urgency. While it can also mean to soak or dampen in formal contexts, its most common everyday usage is to criticize a person's slow pace or lack of initiative.

Examples

nei5你zou6做je5嘢m4唔hou2好gam3咁jyu4濡laa1啦。

Don't be so dilatory when you work.

keoi5佢seng4成jat6日hai2喺dou6度jyu4濡，gaau2搞dou3到ci4遲saai3晒daai6大dou3到。

He is always lingering there, causing him to be very late.

Common phrases

jyu4濡sau2手jyu4濡goek3腳

clumsy and slow

jyu4濡maai4埋jat1一bin1邊

lingering in a corner

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage of similar characters, but in Cantonese, it is specifically used to describe a person's slow or lazy attitude rather than the physical act of getting wet.