mai5 mo2咪摸
Jyutpingmai5 mo2
Yalemáih mó
Definition
To dawdle or do things very slowly.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
This term carries a slightly impatient tone, often used to scold someone for being inefficient or wasting time. It is essentially a reduplicated form of 摸, which in this context implies aimlessly touching or fiddling with things instead of getting the task done. It is very common in casual, everyday speech when someone is frustrated by a slow pace.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the negative particle 咪, which is a contraction of 唔好. While they share the same character, 咪摸 is a specific verb phrase meaning to procrastinate or move slowly.
Grammar color guide
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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.
