mui5 fong3 jyu6 haa6每況愈下每况愈下
Jyutpingmui5 fong3 jyu6 haa6
Yalemúih fong yuh hah
Definition
To steadily deteriorate, get worse, or decline continuously.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
This idiom carries a formal and slightly literary tone, often used to describe a situation or condition that is in a state of continuous decline. While it is perfectly acceptable in spoken Cantonese, it is frequently used to add a sense of gravity or seriousness to a statement about someone's health, a business's performance, or a social situation. It implies a sense of inevitability in the downward trend.
Examples
The company's performance is steadily deteriorating, it will go out of business soon.
Do you think their relationship is getting worse and worse?
Related words
Common phrases
the situation is deteriorating
the medical condition is worsening
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this to describe a single bad event, but it specifically refers to a process of ongoing deterioration. It is not suitable for describing a sudden change or a one-time failure.
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.
