sei2 jan4 lam1 lau2死人冧樓死人冧楼
Jyutpingsei2 jan4 lam1 lau2
Yaleséi yàhn lām láu
Definition
People die and buildings collapse; used to refer to massive catastrophes or disasters in general.
colloquialemotionslang
How it's used
Used primarily as an idiomatic hyperbole to describe a situation that is chaotic, noisy, or blown out of proportion. It rarely refers to actual death or structural failure in casual conversation, functioning instead as a colorful way to criticize someone for overreacting to minor inconveniences.
Examples
Why are you making such a huge fuss as if it were a total catastrophe?
Related words
Common phrases
like a total disaster
Common mistake
Do not use this phrase in a literal context when discussing actual tragedies or accidents, as it is considered extremely disrespectful and insensitive to the victims.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
