laan2懶懒
Jyutpinglaan2
Yaleláan
Definition
To pretend to be; to act pretentiously as if one is.
colloquialdescriptionspeople
How it's used
Used as a prefix to adjectives or verbs, this indicates that someone is putting on a performance to appear a certain way. It carries a strong sense of disapproval or mockery, implying the person is being fake or pretentious. It is most commonly paired with single-syllable adjectives like 醒, 威, or 勁.
Examples
Why are you acting like a know-it-all?
Related words
Common phrases
acting like a know-it-all
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the common adjective 懶 meaning lazy. When used as a prefix to describe behavior, it is a verb meaning to act or pretend, not an adjective describing a personality trait.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
