lam4 zan6 tyut3 tou4臨陣脫逃临阵脱逃

Jyutpinglam4 zan6 tyut3 tou4

Yalelàhm jahn tyut tòuh

Definition

To back out or flee at the last minute; to get cold feet or chicken out at a critical moment.

colloquialpeopledescriptions

How it's used

Carries a strong sense of cowardice or lack of commitment when facing a high stakes situation. It is often used to criticize someone who backs out just as the action is about to begin, rather than simply changing one's mind early on. The phrase implies that the person had already agreed to participate or was expected to perform.

Examples

nei5你m4唔hou2好lam4臨zan6陣aa4呀，daai6大gaa1家dou1都dang2等gan2緊nei5你。

Don't you dare chicken out now, everyone is waiting for you.

keoi5佢ci3次ci3次heoi3去dou3到bei2比coi3賽cin4前dou1都lam4臨zan6陣。

Every time before a competition, he chickens out.

Common phrases

paa3怕lam4臨zan6陣

afraid of chickening out

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for simply being indecisive. It specifically refers to the moment of action, so using it for someone who cancels plans weeks in advance sounds slightly unnatural.