laan6 ngaa4爛牙烂牙
Jyutpinglaan6 ngaa4
Yalelaahn ngàh
Definition
Cavity; a decayed, rotten, or broken tooth.
colloquialhealthbody
How it's used
Refers specifically to a tooth that has decayed or developed a hole. It is a common, informal way to describe dental caries without using clinical terminology. Parents often use this term to warn children about the consequences of eating too many sweets.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 蛀牙, which is the process of tooth decay. While 爛牙 describes the state of the tooth, 蛀牙 is often used as a verb or to describe the condition generally.
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.
