song2 joek3爽約爽约
Jyutpingsong2 joek3
Yalesóng yeuk
Definition
To break an appointment; to fail to keep an agreement to meet up.
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
While 爽約 is understood in Hong Kong, it sounds slightly more formal or literary compared to the very common colloquial terms 甩底 or 放飛機. You will often see it in written notices or news reports, whereas in casual conversation with friends, people almost exclusively use 甩底.
Examples
Why did you break our appointment?
He always breaks his appointments, he is really unreliable.
Related words
Common phrases
always breaking appointments
breaking an appointment without reason
Common mistake
Do not use 爽約 in very casual settings where it might sound overly serious or stiff. Stick to 甩底 when talking to friends to sound more natural.
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.
