laan6 sou3爛數烂数
Jyutpinglaan6 sou3
Yalelaahn sou
Definition
Bad debt; an outstanding debt that is unlikely to be recovered or collected.
colloquialmoney
How it's used
Refers specifically to money that is unlikely to be recovered, often due to the debtor being untrustworthy or having financial trouble. It carries a strong sense of frustration and resignation, implying that the lender has essentially written off the loss. The term is frequently used in business contexts or when discussing personal loans between friends that have gone sour.
Measure word
bat1筆bātExamples
This business deal was a disaster, it ended up as a bad debt.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 壞賬, which is the formal accounting term used in professional or banking contexts. 爛數 is strictly colloquial and should be avoided in formal financial reports or legal documents.
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).
