maan6 laai6萬籟万籁

Jyutpingmaan6 laai6

Yalemaahn laaih

Definition

All the sounds of nature.

writtennaturedescriptions

How it's used

Literary in nature, this term is rarely used in casual spoken Cantonese and is mostly reserved for descriptive writing or poetic expressions. It carries a heavy, atmospheric tone that evokes a sense of profound stillness or silence in nature. When used in speech, it almost always appears as part of the four character idiom 萬籟俱寂.

Examples

sam1深je6夜maan6萬laai6籟keoi1俱zik6寂，hou2好zing6靜aa4呀。

It is dead quiet in the middle of the night, so peaceful.

Common phrases

maan6萬laai6籟keoi1俱zik6寂

all sounds are hushed and everything is still

maan6萬laai6籟

not a sound is heard

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a common noun for silence, but it is a formal literary expression that sounds unnatural if used in everyday conversation to describe a quiet room or a lack of noise.