maan6 tan1 tan1慢吞吞
Jyutpingmaan6 tan1 tan1
Yalemaahn tān tān
Definition
Annoyingly slow, sluggish, or dilatory.
colloquialdescriptionspeople
How it's used
Focuses on the irritating nature of someone's lack of speed rather than just the speed itself. It carries a strong sense of impatience and is often used to criticize someone who is being deliberately or habitually lethargic. It functions as an adverbial phrase, frequently paired with the particle 噉 to describe an action.
Examples
You are working so slowly, when will you ever finish?
He is always so sluggish, making everyone wait for so long.
Related words
Common phrases
in a slow and sluggish manner
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a slow process that is naturally or neutrally slow, such as a slow-moving river or a gradual change. It is reserved for human behavior that causes frustration to others.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
