nau2 maai6朽邁朽迈
Jyutpingnau2 maai6
Yalenáu maaih
Definition
Senile, decrepit, or aged.
writtenpeoplehealth
How it's used
Focuses on the physical decline or deterioration that accompanies advanced age. It carries a slightly literary or formal tone compared to everyday terms like 老, making it more common in written descriptions or reflective speech rather than casual conversation.
Examples
He is getting old, and his body is starting to show signs of ageing.
Seeing his aged appearance really makes me feel emotional.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe inanimate objects or abstract concepts, as it is specifically reserved for the biological process of human ageing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
