saan2 maan6散漫
Jyutpingsaan2 maan6
Yalesáan maahn
Definition
Sloppy, undisciplined, and disorganized; often used to describe laziness.
colloquialdescriptionswork
How it's used
Focuses on a lack of discipline or a lax attitude toward responsibilities rather than just being messy. It often implies that someone is drifting through their tasks without a clear plan or focus. Use this to describe someone who lacks self-control or professional rigor.
Examples
He is very sloppy with his work and is always late.
Don't be so disorganized, hurry up and tidy things up.
Related words
Common phrases
sloppy attitude
disorganized working style
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a physical mess or a cluttered room, as it specifically refers to a person's behavior or attitude. For a messy room, use 亂 instead.
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.
