sung1 haai6鬆懈松懈
Jyutpingsung1 haai6
Yalesūng haaih
Definition
Slack, lax, or inattentive.
colloquialworkdescriptions
How it's used
Focuses on a loss of vigilance or discipline, often implying that someone was previously focused or strict. It is frequently used in professional or serious contexts to warn against dropping one's guard. Unlike simply being lazy, it carries a sense of failing to maintain a required standard or alertness.
Examples
The weather has been so hot lately that everyone has become a bit slack at work.
Don't you dare slack off, there is still a lot of work left to finish.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 輕鬆, which describes a positive, relaxed, or stress-free state. 鬆懈 carries a negative connotation of being negligent or failing to keep up necessary effort.
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.
