ngaan5 lai3 lai3眼矋矋
Jyutpingngaan5 lai3 lai3
Yalengáahn lai lai
Definition
Staring blankly or fixedly with wide open eyes.
colloquialbodydescriptions
How it's used
Conveys a sense of intense, prolonged, or slightly unsettling focus that often makes the person being watched feel uncomfortable. It is distinct from simply looking or watching because it implies a fixed, unblinking gaze. Use this when you want to describe someone who is being rude or creepy by not looking away.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a neutral or polite look, as it almost always carries a negative or aggressive connotation. It is not interchangeable with standard verbs for looking like 睇 or 望.
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.
