nou5 jan4惱人恼人
Jyutpingnou5 jan4
Yalenóuh yàhn
Definition
Annoying, irritating, or vexing.
neutraldescriptionsemotion
How it's used
While standard in written Chinese, this term is less frequently used in casual spoken Cantonese compared to 煩. It carries a slightly more formal or literary tone than the everyday 煩人 or 討厭. Using it in conversation can sound a bit dramatic or like you are describing a specific, persistent nuisance rather than just a momentary annoyance.
Examples
This weather is really annoying.
Why are you being so annoying?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use this as a direct translation for annoying in every context, but it can sound unnatural or overly bookish. For everyday situations, stick to 煩 or 討厭 to sound more like a local.
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.
