lei4霾
Jyutpinglei4
Yalelèih
Definition
Haze; foggy weather, or a dust storm.
neutralweatherhealth
How it's used
Refers specifically to atmospheric pollution or dust particles suspended in the air rather than natural water-based fog. While often used in news reports to describe air quality, it is less common in casual conversation than simply saying空氣差 or 煙霞. It carries a slightly more formal or technical tone compared to everyday weather descriptions.
Examples
It is very hazy outside today, remember to wear a mask.
There is so much haze in the air, are you still going for a run?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 霧 which refers to natural water vapor fog. Using 霾 to describe a misty morning at the beach would sound unnatural as it implies pollution or dust.
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.
