laan2 wai1懶威懒威
Jyutpinglaan2 wai1
Yaleláan wāi
Definition
To show off, boast, or flaunt oneself.
colloquialpeopleslang
How it's used
This term carries a strong sense of disapproval, implying that the person is acting superior or trying to impress others without having the actual substance to back it up. It is often used to call out someone who is being pretentious or performative in a social setting. Unlike simply showing off, it carries a specific nuance of being a bit of a nuisance or a poser.
Examples
He is always showing off, it is so annoying.
Stop showing off, you actually don't know how to do it at all.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 威, which can be a positive adjective meaning cool or impressive. Adding 懶 turns the meaning negative, suggesting the person is only pretending to be cool.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
