long6 fai3浪費浪费
Jyutpinglong6 fai3
Yalelohng fai
Definition
To waste or squander time, money, or resources.
neutraldaily actionsmoney
How it's used
Focus on the sense of squandering something valuable, whether it is money, effort, or potential. While it functions as a verb, it is frequently used as an adjective or descriptive state when someone complains about something being a waste, often paired with the particle 㗎 to emphasize the speaker's disapproval.
Examples
Stop wasting your time on these boring things.
Related words
Common phrases
to waste time
to waste money
to waste resources
Common mistake
Avoid using it for physical trash or garbage, which is usually referred to as 垃圾. It specifically describes the act of misusing resources rather than the physical object itself.
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.
