ngaai4 je2捱夜挨夜
Jyutpingngaai4 je2
Yalengàaih yé
Definition
To stay up late; to burn the midnight oil to do something.
colloquialdaily actionshealth
How it's used
Implies a sense of hardship or struggle, as the character 捱 specifically denotes enduring something difficult or painful. It is rarely used for staying up late just for fun or leisure, which would be better described as 唔瞓覺 or 玩通宵.
Examples
Why are you staying up late again?
Related words
Common phrases
staying up late to work
staying up late all the time
Common mistake
Do not use this word when talking about staying up late for entertainment, such as watching movies or partying, as it sounds like you are suffering through a chore.
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.
