laan6 lou2爛佬烂佬
Jyutpinglaan6 lou2
Yalelaahn lóu
Definition
An unreasonable, rowdy, or ruffian-like man.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Describes a man who is perceived as having no prospects, being unreliable, or acting in a boorish and unreasonable manner. It carries a strong sense of social judgment and is often used to dismiss someone as a lowlife or a troublemaker. While it specifically targets males, it is not necessarily restricted to those in poverty, but rather to those whose behavior or lifestyle is seen as degenerate.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is always drunk; he really is a deadbeat.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 爛仔, which often implies a younger person or a street thug involved in gang-like behavior. 爛佬 focuses more on the lack of maturity, responsibility, or general decency in an adult man.
Grammar color guide
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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.
