m4 dak1 haan4唔得閒唔得闲

Jyutpingm4 dak1 haan4

Yalem̀h dāk hàahn

Definition

To not have free time; to be busy.

colloquialtimedaily actions

How it's used

Use this phrase as a polite way to decline an invitation or explain why you cannot perform a task. It functions as a complete predicate, so it does not require a verb like 'to be' before it. It is much more common than the formal equivalent 忙, which can sound slightly stiff or overly serious in casual social settings.

Examples

ngo5我gam1今maan5晚m4唔dak1得haan4閒，haa6下ci3次sin1先laa1啦。

I'm not free tonight, let's do it next time.

nei5你ting1聽jat6日dak1得haan4閒m4唔dak1得haan4閒aa4呀？

Are you free tomorrow?

Common phrases

zan1真hai6係m4唔dak1得haan4閒

really not free

jyun4完cyun4全m4唔dak1得haan4閒

completely busy

Common mistake

Avoid using 忙 to describe being unavailable for a social engagement, as it can sound like you are complaining about being overworked rather than just having other plans. Stick to 唔得閒 for general unavailability.