laan6 haam3 maau1爛喊貓烂喊猫
Jyutpinglaan6 haam3 maau1
Yalelaahn haam māau
Definition
Crybaby; a child who cries easily.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
This term is used almost exclusively to tease children or people acting childishly. It carries a playful, slightly mocking tone rather than a clinical or serious one. While it literally translates to a cat that cries easily, it is a standard idiom for anyone prone to tears.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Why are you crying again? You really are a crybaby.
He loved to cry when he was little; he was such a crybaby.
Related words
Common phrases
to act like a crybaby
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone crying for a legitimate, serious reason, as it implies the person is being overly sensitive or immature.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
