lau4 lin4流連流连
Jyutpinglau4 lin4
Yalelàuh lìhn
Definition
To linger, loiter, or hang around a place.
colloquialdaily actionsplaces
How it's used
Implies a sense of aimlessness or reluctance to leave a specific location, often carrying a slightly negative connotation of wasting time. It is frequently used to describe someone who spends excessive time in places like shopping malls, game centers, or bars instead of attending to their responsibilities. Unlike simply staying somewhere, it suggests a repetitive or habitual action of hanging about.
Examples
He hangs around the arcade all day and refuses to go home.
Why have you been lingering around here for so long?
Related words
Common phrases
to be so enchanted that one forgets to return home
to loiter on the streets
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 留低, which means to leave something behind or to remain in a place for a specific purpose. 流連 specifically emphasizes the act of wandering or loitering without a clear goal.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
