paau1 naau4拋錨抛锚
Jyutpingpaau1 naau4
Yalepāau nàauh
Definition
To drop anchor, or for a vehicle to break down or stall.
- to drop anchor; to cast anchor to secure a boat
- figurativeto break down; to stall; to fail to start
colloquialtransportdaily actions
How it's used
Originally referring to ships dropping anchor, this term has been widely adopted to describe any vehicle that suddenly stops working due to mechanical failure. It carries a sense of being stranded or stuck in an inconvenient location. While it is common in casual speech, it is also frequently used in news reports to describe traffic congestion caused by stalled vehicles.
Examples
The car broke down while driving, how unlucky.
Related words
Common phrases
to break down halfway
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 死火, which specifically refers to an engine stalling or cutting out. While 拋錨 can be the result of the engine stalling, it is more often used to describe the state of being broken down on the road, whereas 死火 is more focused on the immediate action of the engine failing.
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.
