nei4 lau4彌留弥留
Jyutpingnei4 lau4
Yalenèih làuh
Definition
To be seriously ill and on one's deathbed.
writtenhealthpeople
How it's used
This term is strictly reserved for the final moments of life and carries a solemn, formal weight. Unlike common phrases for dying, it is rarely used in casual conversation and is most frequently encountered in medical or news reports. It functions as a descriptive state rather than an action.
Examples
He is in a critical state now, the doctor told the family to prepare themselves.
Was there any family member with the patient when they were on their deathbed?
Related words
Common phrases
at the moment of death
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for being sick, but it specifically refers to the terminal stage of life. Using it to describe someone who is just severely ill or injured is inappropriate and sounds overly dramatic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
